Waiting

Friends, I may be absent from here for a bit.

Or I may not.

I am not sure how things will look in the coming days.

But please check in on me.

I hope to be here soon with a smile back on my face.

You can read here to catch up on what is going on.

Until then,

Greta

Favorite Recipe: Cream Scones

I love to try new recipes. In fact, I often try new recipes for parties or when we're having people over. Which says 1 of 2 things about me: either I am very confidant in my ability to cook, or I am not a perfectionist and if it doesn't turn out perfect, it's not the end of the world.

Actually, I think it's a little bit of both.

And really, when you make something from scratch, it almost always tastes better than store bought and people are so impressed that you made it from scratch, that you really can't lose.

That being said, I do love to have favorite recipes. Those recipes that you make again and again. I have a banana bread recipe that is a home run every time I make it. It will always be my banana bread recipe. Strawberry cupcakes, chicken enchiladas, pinto beans and lemon bars; each a favorite recipe.

The traditionalist in me also likes the idea that I will one day be 80 and making the same strawberry cupcakes for my grand kids that I made for my own kids. I will pass out recipe cards, in my own handwriting because you always need to give your loved ones something in your handwriting, that say "Grandma Greta's Favorite Recipes". And they will undoubtedly become family heirlooms.

If you think I dream, you don't know that my favorite shortbread recipe is from Aaron's grandma and every time I make it I think of her and I am so grateful that I have that recipe. My pumpkin bread recipe is from my mom. The recipe is written in her hard to read writing and the card is stained and the edges bent because she probably had to use it a few times before she gave it to me. All her recipe cards look like that. I love that recipe card.

Cooking is about so much more than eating, isn't it?

But back to the scones. I didn't have a favorite recipe for scones and I wanted to make some for a little Valentines party I was having. I turned to my favorite source for recipes, Molly, at Orangette. Once again, she didn't fail me. (oh, and that cake on her latest post is going to be made in my kitchen very soon.)

These are so good. I love cream scones because they are soft and moist and so tender you wonder where scones have been all your life. They are nothing like those dry, crumbly hockey pucks they call scones over at Starbucks. I had my first cream scone on a Virgin Atlantic flight to London. If an airplane scone could beat any other scone I'd ever had, then I knew they were on to something.

If you're a scone hater, try these.

Here is the link to the scone recipe.

Here are my notes on the recipe:

Don't let the currants and fennel seeds scare you. These are first and foremost cream scones and you can add anything else that you want.

I would have loved to add the currants, but didn't have any floating around in my cupboards. I am intrigued by the fennel seeds, and want to try them, but didn't think they'd be good without the currants.

Instead, I used what I had, lemon zest. I just added the zest of one lemon to the dry ingredients and it was just right. It gave it a subtle flavor, not overwhelming, but still noticeable.

As for the shape, the recipe calls for cutting into triangles, but I am so bad at free handing anything that I just cut them into circles with a biscuit cutter. I think it worked fine.

I also sprinkled a little raw sugar on the top of the scones after I brushed them with cream. It added a hint of sweetness and a little crunch that I found quite nice.

They were delicious with cream and jam.

So now I have a favorite scone recipe. Add it to the archives. I am making family heirlooms that cost a lot less than good silver, but they'll be just as treasured.

Happy baking everyone!
Love from,
Greta

List # 4 of the 52 Lists: Some of My Most Embarrassing Moments

So here we go, another list. Valentines Day inspired this list. But that one is near the end. I'll start with some of my earlier memories.

List # 4:

Some of My Most Embarrassing Moments

1. 8 years old.

My mom told the lady cutting my hair to give me a pixie cut. I guess the lady thought that meant, "make her look like a boy."

But that's not the embarrassing part.

We were visiting some dear friend's church (whose son I had a big crush on) when the music leader called all the men and boys to the front of the church to sing together for special music. All the men and boys went up.

He looked down at me, sitting in the very front with my mom and all the other ladies.

"Don't you want to come up and sing, little boy?" he asked.

2. 8th grade.

I was going to a Halloween party with my younger brother and 2 friends of ours. It was a church youth group party. Their church, not ours. All new people to meet.

My costume was fantastic. I was a pirate. Big gold hoops, puffy white shirt, tight black pants, tall black boots, bright yellow vest and a red bandanna. I think I even drew on a mustache with black eyeliner.

I loved Halloween costumes.

My friend wore her brother's football jersey and carried his helmet. She didn't even black her eyes. Our 2 brothers didn't dress up at all.

We walked into the party, and no one else was dressed up.

My friend promptly took off the jersey and hid the helmet under a chair.

I still hate that memory.

3. The summer of my 13th year

Summer camp and I met Raffi. He was 13 too, and he liked me. We sat next to each other in chapel and he held my hand. The first boy I ever held hands with. I was delirious.

I cried the last day of camp. He lived in LA. It might as well have been Alaska.

We promised to write. And we did--all summer long.

I lived for those letters.

Fall came and the letters stopped. I kept sending them, but he didn't write back.

Finally a letter came. It was in his handwriting.

"Dear Greta," it said. "This is Raffi's father. Please stop writing to Raffi. He doesn't have time to write back. He needs to spend more time practicing his trumpet."

I was mortified. I was furious.

I burned all his letters.

I wish I still had them. I bet they'd be very, very fun to read.

4. College

It was a windy, winter day. I had on a dress and tights. After doing some research at the library, I shouldered my back pack and headed outside for the long walk to my car.

I stopped to chat with my friends.

I walked across campus.

There was a new building being built. As I walked by, cat calls, whistles and shouts broke out from the men working on the building. I tried not to pay attention, but no one else was around but me. I couldn't help thinking, "dang, I must look good in this dress!"

I reached the hill that I needed to climb down to reach my car. The wind was strong there.

I felt a very cold breeze on my behind,

I gasped.

I clapped my hands to my rear only to feel.....tights.

My dress was caught up in my backpack.

I walked all the way from the library, showing my panties to the world.

5. Also College

A Sunday morning in February. I pulled into the parking lot of the small church where my dad was the pastor. There was one other car in the parking lot and I didn't recognize it. (told you it was a small church) When I went inside, my dad introduced the visitor to me. He was a stranger but acted like he knew me.

Then I remembered, I had met him once before, at the coffee shop where I worked.

After Sunday school, I settled in the front row with the little kids for the children's story. The stranger sat down next to me. It was awkward.

Time came for announcements and Jim asked the congregation, "does anyone else have any announcements?"

The stranger stood up.

"Oh good Lord," I thought. "He's going to roll down the aisles or try to charm a snake or something."

This is what he said.

"I know it's my first time here at this church, and I have only just met Greta here, but I am so impressed by her and the lovely girl she is, that I wanted to ask you, Pastor Stan, for her hand in marriage."

The whole church gasped. Except for one old man in the back who shouted, "Praise the Lord!'

I wanted to die on the spot.

Thankfully, my dad said no.

Some of you reading this blog have known me a long, long time. Can you remember any moments I have forgotten? Tell me. (I may regret this!) Or share an embarrassing moment of your own. I'd so love to hear it and have a little chuckle.

Greta

Craft Project: Wax Paper Hearts

Oh yes, I know. Valentines Day was over yesterday and everyone is ready to move on. Well, I have been sick most every night this week, so there hasn't been a lot of blogging going on. In addition, my kids are up half the night with hacking coughs, so you'll have to give me a little grace here.

I want to show you these hearts. Cause I love them. Even if Valentines Day is over. (you might recognize them from my banner photo over at Lilly and the Brothers)

Did you make wax paper crafts when you were a kid? You know, where you melt crayon shavings between 2 sheets of wax paper and come up with these beautiful, stained glass designs?

It was my most favorite craft in the world.

It still is.

There is just something magical about the way the colors all come together. Every one is different. I never tire of it.

The boys and I made all these hearts last year. I saved them all and we hung them again. Some we strung singly and hung in a doorway, where they would flutter in the breeze.

Others we strung together into a garland and hung in the window.

The beauty of this craft is its versatility. You can turn these into any shape, so this isn't just a Valentines craft.

I imagine using pinks, oranges, yellows and bright blues for Easter eggs. Or flowers for spring time. Or, just frame in a mat of brightly colored paper and hang in the window as is. You will have a "stained glass window" that looks lovely with the sun shining through it.

Here are the directions if you want to give it a try.

You need:

wax paper

old crayons, wrappers removed

a small, hand held pencil sharpener

iron

2 paper grocery bags, or 2 thick towels that you don't mind staining

What to do:

First, sharpen the crayons to get your shavings. Keep each color separate by dumping shavings on a paper towel, or in a small bowl.

Turn your iron on to its lowest setting.

Next, lay a thick towel or paper bag on your ironing board.

Lay a sheet of wax paper on top of the towel or bag.

Sprinkle crayon shavings on top of the wax paper. Experiment and see what colors look good melted together, but don't mix too many and make brown! Or create pockets of a single color surrounded by mixed colors.

You don't need to use a lot of crayon shavings. A little goes a long way.

Lay another sheet of wax paper on top of the crayon shavings.

Put another towel or paper bag over the wax paper to protect your iron.

Run the iron gently across the towel or bag. A few quick passes should be enough to melt the crayons and the paper together.

Lift the towel and check. If it isn't melted enough, pass the iron over it again.

Set the finished paper aside and do some more.

Now you can cut the paper into shapes, or simply frame it as it.

Like I said, I never tire of making these and neither do my boys.

We're about due to make some more. I'll be sure to post what we come up with.

So, happy Valentines Day, friends. I hope yours was lovely. And I hope you find some time to make something pretty this week. And if not, it's still fun to dream! There's always next Valentines Day.

Cheers,

Greta

Surprised By Beauty: Everyday

Last week I took a pictures of the beautiful, everyday things that are part of my life.

It was such an enjoyable project. In the middle of breakfast, I looked down at my plate and then jumped up to get my camera.

Beauty is everywhere.

Here is some of my everyday beauty.

Color

Pink Stripes and Cuffed Jeans

Breakfast and a Book

Cafe

Rain

I hope you'll look for everyday beauty this week.

It will really change your perspective. It brought me a lot of joy. A sense of happiness at how bright and lovely my world is.

When you're falling in love you see the world through rose colored glasses, right?

I think I am seeing the world through a rose colored view finder.

Cheers to you and happy Thursday!

Greta

"The world is so full of a number of things,

I think we should all be happy as kings."

Robert Louis Stevenson

Money Maters: Clean Green and Save Some Green

I stopped cleaning with "regular" household cleaners when I had my first baby. Suddenly that 409 I was spraying every where didn't seem like such a good idea.

For a while I went with the less toxic offerings in the cleaning supply isles that were beginning to come into fashion. But after some reading and experimenting, I found my favorite cleaner: vinegar.

I use it for most everything. It is great for cleaning windows and mirrors. It gives a shine that is much better than Windex. It is also perfect for wood floors. Even Martha says so.I use it to clean counters and the bathroom. It meets all my cleaning needs.

Here's how I use it. 1 cup vinegar to 2 cups water.

I then add a few drops of essential oil for a nice scent, pour it into my spray bottle and that's all there is to it.

The vinegar is very inexpensive and since you are mixing it with water, it lasts a long time. The essential oil will set yo back about $10, but since you only use a few drops, it will last you a very long time, too.

You really can't beat it.

I do use other concoctions for cleaning also. Baking soda and Borax make excellent scrubbing agents that won't ruin your surfaces. I love to combine baking soda with Dr. Bronner's castile soap to scrub my tub. He's pretty much a whack job, but he makes great soap.

When I really want to disinfect something (which doesn't happen that often--our country is Clorox wipe obsessed) I use a plant based disinfectant from this company and I like it very much. I only use it on the toilet and after I have cut up raw meat. Cause both of those things pretty much gross me out.

I have really enjoyed detoxing my cleaning supplies. Now I feel perfectly safe letting the kids help me clean anything. And when I have babies crawling on the floor, and eating off the floor, it doesn't worry me one bit.

Do you have any green and/or frugal cleaning tips to share with me? I'd love to hear them.

_________________________________________________

Now for the fun link I promised you.

My Milk Toof. Oh my gosh is it ever fun! Spend a few minutes and look around her blog. The photography is lovely, the sets are amazingly creative and adorable and the stories will have you smiling.

But probably my favorite part of this blog is the story behind it. Inhae, the creator, was unemployed and needed a project. She started doing this and it has blossomed. When you do the thing you love, amazing things happen. So inspiring!

I can't wait to show these to James and William. I know they will get a kick out of the adventures of these 2 little buddies. Here's one of my favorites.

Hope this post was a bright spot in your Wednesday. Something practical and something fun. What could be better?

Greta

List # 3--Things I Want, but I've Never Told Anyone

Hi all. Happy Monday to you.

I had a busier than usual weekend. 2, full-day activities have left me feeling rather exhausted. I also missed naps on both days.

But sometimes, it's worth it. Both days were filled with lots of wondrous things.

More on that later. Right now I want to get to List # 3.

I have so many ideas for lists floating around in my head that I am having a hard time posting just 1 a week. I want to do it more often. But I am trying to pace myself.

Inspired yet again by Hula Seventy, (see this post -- she rocks!) I came up with this list idea last week. Just to clarify, it is not a way to not so subtly tell the world the things I want so that someone will step up and give them to me. It is just a random list of things I'd like to be a part of my life. Really, I think we all have some things we want but never tell anyone, so this might just be a way for you to realize you are not alone. (see this for more on that)

Without further ado,

List # 3:

Things I Want, but I've Never Told Anyone

1. I want someone to throw me an awesome birthday party. It doesn't have to be a surprise. Just pay attention to details (like this) and plan it for me.

2. I want to like shrimp. I really do. Also, lobster, crab and scallops. I don't like any of them. And I feel like I should. In fact, you are probably judging me right now because I don't like them. It's the texture. They are so......thick. And I've had them from good restaurants. I'm not talking Red Lobster here. The only shrimp I ever liked was while we were in the Cinque Terre, in Italy. It was caught a few hours before we ate it, in the water a few feet from the restaurant we were eating in. It melted in my mouth.

So maybe what I really want is to go back to Italy.

3. I want a housekeeper. Who doesn't?

4. I want to get a pedicure and manicure every week. I will never do this for 2 reasons. Time and money. But I would love to. I would feel so pretty. Well groomed, might describe it better. A woman who has well shaped brows, and has her nails done too, is akin to a supermodel in my book.

I am lucky if remember to check for food stuck in my braces.

5. I want to play water polo. I love water polo. It is such a tough, aggressive sport. There is a part of me that rather enjoys being aggressive. I played a tiny bit, just for fun, while I was taking swimming in junior college and I liked it a lot. I am sure there is an adult women's league somewhere.

Of course, I'd have to be able to swim across the pool a few times without getting winded.

6. I want to sew. Here's the problem. Patterns, measurements and such trouble me no little bit. They are full of math. And math troubles me a lot. Have you noticed I am a word girl? So I am put off by the technical part of it. And I am not one to just wing it. I don't have enough natural ability in the sewing department to make that work. But the thought of sewing my own clothes, something that would fit me just right, and be fabric that I picked out, well that very, very much appeals to me. Not to mention whipping up a pair of curtains, some pillows or a tiny dress for my baby girl.

7. I want to take all 3 of my kids to art museums. At the same time. They are 5, 3 and 1. Taking the 5 year old would be a piece of cake. It would be a whole lot of fun, actually. Even the 3 year old would be fine. He just might not have as much stamina as his older brother. And I could manage the 2 of them together.

It's that wild card I'm worried about. Lilly, the 1 year old. I have a terrible vision of her getting out of the stroller, darting off, knocking into a priceless statue and causing a whole lot horrifically embarrassing problems.

Yet, I feel like if I were a really together mom I would be spending afternoons at the art museum with the 3 of them, and we'd be sitting quietly on a bench together studying the use of the light in the art of Impressionist movement. Sigh.

(will take advice on this matter if you have any)

8. I want to give up and just wear a mumu for this entire pregnancy. Or sweats. Neither is attractive, but I am really going for comfort here. And it is not like I am a cute pregnant girl anyway, so why not just go for it? If you see any cute mumus when you're out shopping, pick one up for me.

So tell me, what do you want that you haven't told anyone?

What other lists are you making?

Don't forget to come back tomorrow. I have a few fantastic links I want to share with you.

I want to go to bed now.

Greta

PS. And don't forget the party games.

Parmesan Chicken with Arugula and Lemon

Parmesan chicken?

Yes, Parmesan chicken. Maybe it's old news to you, but it's new to me.

Because it's breaded and fried and I don't do breaded and fried. I save breaded and fried for when I go out to get fish and chips or something of that sort.

But I have been in a serious cooking rut. Partly because I much prefer spring, summer and fall cooking when there are lots of fresh and ripe vegetables to make into salads and pastas and throw on the grill. But also because I am pregnant and sick and tired and I just go with whatever is easiest. Around here that means a pot of beans and lots and lots of bean burritos. I mostly eat cereal, toast and eggs.

See? A rut I tell you. So on Monday morning I got out my files of recipes and I purposed to try some of the ones I've been saving. Saving for years. I have a bit of an obsession with tearing recipes out of magazines, saving them in a big stack and then finally filing them. My husband thinks it's kind of crazy.

But after he ate the Parmesan chicken, he might not think those recipe files are so crazy after all.

Here's the thing about the chicken. It's really good. It's moist and tender and flavorful. It is especially good when it is right out of the pan crispy.

But it is still chicken.

What puts it over the top, though, is that arugula and lemon. It makes it amazing.

I am a huge fan of arugula. I put it on pizza, pasta, sandwiches and make my salads from it. I rarely use any other type of lettuce. It's straight arugula for me.

It's smell makes me swoon. Just tear some up and tell me that that smell doesn't send you over the moon.

When we were in Italy, Aaron had a very, very rare veal steak (so rare the waitress kept warning him it was red. "Red! You know, red?) that was covered with a huge pile arugula.

It was an incredible combination and I am no fan of veal. I don't know why I haven't thought of trying it at home since.

And then the lemon. The 2 of them together, atop the warm, crispy chicken is really just about as perfect a combination as I can imagine.

Because I am feeling more than a bit tired tonight, I am not going to type out the recipe. Instead, I am just going to give you the link, here.

I will however, provide these notes.

I would add more Parmesan and less breadcrumbs to the breading mixture.

I didn't bother to make the lemon vinaigrette. I just squeezed a half a lemon over each plate, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. One less dish to wash, right? It turned out great.

The chicken makes a great salad the next day, with, of course, arugula. In fact, I had it for lunch and dinner. Just cube the chicken, add chopped arugula, some feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, avocados and a healthy squeeze of lemon juice.

I served this pasta (I substituted asparagus for artichokes for the sake of time) along with the chicken and I think it was the best meal I have made in 2 months. Aaron hasn't complained about the dinners I've been making, but I could tell by his effusive compliments that he really liked this one.

Parmesan chicken. Give it a try. It would be nice for dinner this Sunday night. And you can have the leftovers for lunch on Monday.

But don't you dare forget the arugula and lemon!

Happy weekend, friends.

Greta

Surprised By Beauty: It's the Little Things

This week I saw these.

Perhaps my favorite thing about carrying my camera everywhere I go is the eye I have developed because of it. An eye for spotting the little things. The way a fern is unfurling, or an orange flower that stands out against an old piece of wood.

I look up at the sky more often.

I look down at the ground.

I stop.

I am always waiting to be surprised by beauty.

It's everywhere. Really it is.

I take great joy in the beauty I find in nature. It fills my soul.

But there is beauty in my everyday also.

That, after all, is the whole reason I blog. To celebrate the beauty in my everyday.

So, for the next few weeks, I am going to change up the images in this series. Instead of my finds from nature, I will post some things beautiful from my everyday.

And I will ask you, what is beautiful in your everyday?

Think about it. That's your homework.

Greta

"The world is so full of a number of things,

I'm sure we should all be happy as kings."

Robert Louis Stevenson

More Cardboard Art and a Blog You Must Visit

It started when I saw this.

I was actually looking at the cuckoo clocks because they are some of the most incredibly awesome cuckoo clocks I have ever seen. Sadly, as is so often the case with Anthropology, these are out of my price range. Even on sale. (they're still $200 on sale. Yikes!)

So I just looked and loved.

But, that tree was pretty cool too. And I could make that for free.

So I did.

Actually, since it was for the kids' room, the boys helped me, and it was a fun project for all of us.

The truth is, I am a bit of a control freak. So originally I was going to do it all myself and hang it in their room with a "Tada! Look what Mommy made for you!"

But when they saw the cut out tree sitting on the table, they wanted to know what it was. When I told them, they immediately said, "can we help?

So they did.

We mixed the colors together, and I offered art direction, "more swirls!" but they executed most of the painting on their own.

I really like the way it turned out.

We made this tree,

And this sign,

to hang over their kitchen.

In case you are wondering, "why a tree in the kitchen?' and "why a sign that says Eat Candy?", let me explain.

We have kind of a forest theme going on. We love the woods and being outside. Hence the tree. The sign is for their kitchen, which they pretend is their restaurant. I was envisioning something like "Redwood Cafe".

Well, since I was letting them have a say in their own room decor, I asked the boys what the sign should say.

James wanted it to say "Eat".

William wanted it to say "Candy."

So we compromised. "Eat Candy."

Although now James wants it to say "Candy Cafe" because that sounds more restaurantish.

Either way, I am more than happy with the way it turned out. I am especially happy that we worked on it together. It goes well with the rest of their bright, happy room.

No wonder those birds are all chirping so merrily!

Now, before you go, I have to send you over to this blog. It is called Unhappy Hipsters and I think it is pretty hysterical.

If you ever read Dwell magazine, you are used to seeing lots of pictures like these.

Perfectly styled, modern homes, rather devoid of personality and looking quite a lot like a Design Within Reach showroom.

Don't get me wrong, I like Dwell, but the homes they showcase are so often lacking any soul. I just don't see who the home owner is. Do you?

Speaking of the homeowners, they very often look quite sour. Do they ever smile? Are they taking themselves that seriously? Don't the bright colors of modernism cheer them up at all?

That, in a nutshell, is Unhappy Hipsters. The satirical quote accompanying each photo is sure to make you chuckle. I was laughing out loud actually.

And please, if I ever begin to go the way of the unhappy hipster, will someone please rescue me?

I don't ever want to take myself too seriously.

OK folks, that's all I've got. Happy Tuesday!

Greta