Nightly Fix of Popcorn

Just about 5 PM everyday I start to crave salt.  Used to be I would tear into a bag of chips.  Hubby and I are making a concerted effort to eat healthy so popcorn is now my salty-snack of choice.  Lots of fiber too.  

Happy weekend everybody!

Popover Penchant

Recipes for popovers have been popping up all over.  Seems like the 1950's darling is having a resurgence.  With good reason too, these delectable treats are versatile and easy to make, just flour, salt, eggs and milk.  You can make the batter the day before baking if you wish and then bake just before serving.  They are great for breakfast and brunch, as a tea treat with jam, or a savory dish for dinner.  

The May issue of ElleDecor features Perfect Popovers, an article and recipe by Daniel Boulud.  Looks like a great recipe but the yield is too many for me and hubby to consume.  I found a website called The Perfect Popover.  Tonight I made the basic recipe from that website.  The result is in the top photo.  They were fantastic.  I used a regular size muffin tin and it yielded 8 popovers.  I did lower the oven temp a bit because of the nonstick, dark pan.  View the recipe here.  Be sure to look at the page of recipe links.  You will get some good ideas of menus incorporating popovers.  Read the tips and tricks.  I swear by the room temp batter, hot oven and greased pan method.  

Here is a popover, split and filled with creamy, cheesy, scrambled eggs.  This could be an easy main course dish for Mother's Day brunch.  Top with a few asparagus spears or some snipped chives and it is pretty as well as delicious.  

Mother's Day Makeover Idea

Mom wants to look her best but she's so busy taking care of everyone else, she may neglect herself.  Make an appointment with the makeup artist/rep of your favorite makeup brand and take mom and BOTH of you have a makeover.  A fun way to spend time together.

Go to a department store, Sephora, or Blue Mercury.  MAC is a great place to do this too.  If there is a charge, it is usually applied to the makeup.  

This is the time to learn the "smokey eye", try mineral powders or find just the right shade of lipstick.  

Collected Stripes

1 Nordstrom $68  2 J.Crew $188  3 Anthropologie $88

Banana Republic $120

1 Etsy $49  2 Gap $24.50  3 Target  4 Nordstrom $425

Ralph Lauren Top $77 Bottom $67

The Bell Jar/Garden Cloche

I saw these petunias at a Farmers Market this weekend,  The color is called Cappuccino.  It's too early to plant as frost is predicted for at least 2 morning this week.  I can keep them safe in the cloche.  

A glass bell jar or cloche is such a romantic touch in the garden.

The second and third photos are from a great site called GAP photos.  Beautiful images of gardens and gardening.

Save the Planet

I've been lucky to travel to some beautiful place.  

I hope we preserve pristine beauty like this for many generations to come. 

Have a great weekend.  Hope you get to be outside and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.  

Mushroom Pasta Dish to Celebrate Earth Day

I can't think of a more appropriate dish for Earth Day than one containing mushrooms.  I decided to make a mushroom pasta dish and couldn't find a recipe for just what I had in mind  so I created my own.  The result was quite tasty and easy so I'm sharing it with my dear readers.  Happy Earth Day.

I began by sauteing 2 leeks, sliced and cleaned, in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook the leeks until very soft, about 12 minutes.






2 leeks, sliced and cleaned
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz roughly chopped mushrooms (I used a mix of shiitake, oyster and portabella)
2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons fresh thyme             
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 oz fresh spinach
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 oz farfalle pasta


Cook farfalle pasta according to directions.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, saute the leeks in the olive oil over medium heat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until soft, about 12 minutes.  Add butter and mushrooms and thyme and saute until soft, brown, and liquid has been evaporated.  Season with salt and generous amount of pepper.  Add sherry to the pan and cook until most of liquid has been evaporated.  Add spinach to pan and cook over medium heat until the spinach is wilted. Add cream and parmesan cheese to pan and bring to a boil and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, just a minute or two.  Taste to adjust seasoning.  Mushrooms take an amazing amount of fresh pepper for seasoning.  Add drained pasta to the saute pan with the mushroom mixture and stir to mix.  Serve and top with additional cheese if desired. 

lululemon Love

I love my lululemon workout clothes as much as the reusable shopping bag they generously give when you make a purchase.

I carry mine to the gym every day with my gym essentials.

How cute it this little zip pouch that comes with gift cards?  I'd get myself a gift card just to have the pouch!

Vintage Reuse

I picked up this coffee table at the Antique Market on Saturday.  I'm not sure what the metal frame was in it's first life.  I know the glass top is new.  The frame is old with a nice patina and it folds flat if I choose to store it away.  It works great in my small living room space.  It's fun to find vintage pieces.  The chair is an antique and the upright suitcase next to it is vintage Louis Vuitton (hard to see) that we found several years ago at the Antique Market.  

Gardening for "Green" Pleasure

I'm so excited to start planting a garden.  Today begins the sign-up for garden plots in my town.   Last year I snagged 2 plots and grew most of my lettuces and veggies for the entire summer.  I love watching the little seedling poke through the ground and mature into edible bounty.  

one of my plots last year

If you've never gardened before and want some ideas of what to do, click here for lots of helpful information from the Martha Stewart website.  

annuals on the railing and pots with herbs

If you don't have access to a traditional garden or raised bed, try container gardening with some colorful annuals or herbs. 

Rewards for Recycling

Kiehl's is my favorite company for skin and haircare products.  They have a wonderful recycling program.  The graphic above illustrates the rewards.  You must recycle at a free-standing Kiehl's store.  

Back to M A C is a program that encourages recycling with a lipstick of choice in exchange for 6 MAC primary packaging containers.  You may recycle at any MAC counter or online.

Origins will accept empty containers of any cosmetic brand for recycling. They’ll treat you to a FREE sample of your choice of one of Origins high-performance skincare products.

If you know of other recycle - reward programs I'd love it if you'll leave a comment.  Thanks!

Earth Week

Earth Day celebrates it's 40 anniversary this April 22 so I'm going to focus on the environment this week.  My favorite store, Target, handed out free reusable bags on Sunday, the 18th. 

   

Target launched recycling stations last week at all 1,740 U.S. stores and at the front of each store, Target's recycling bins accept aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers as well as plastic bags, MP3 players, cell phones and ink cartridges.  Click here to see view Target
Recycle = Reward programs.

Whole Foods is a store that seems to practice it's golden rule of  environmental stewardship, THE 3 R'S: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE  

This is how they suggest to do the green thing

GO "GREEN" WHEN YOU CLEAN

AVOID PRODUCTS WITH A LOT OF PACKAGING

BUY RECYCLED PRODUCTS

SWITCH TO ORGANICS

BUY IN BULK

QUENCH WITH RESPECT

SUPPORT ECO-SMART PACKAGING

CHOOSE YOUR FOOD LIKE IT MATTERS

REUSE YOUR BAGS

Things That Made Me Smile This Week

The fountain on the pond was turned on.  Love to fall asleep to the sound of water.

First DQ of the season.  Hot fudge sundae with Spanish peanuts. 

(like a Peanut Buster Parfait but smaller)

I qualified for a Starbucks GOLD card!  

A Bluebird couple moved into the house. 

Looking forward to Restaurant Week in Detroit.

Saturday night at the Rattlesnake Club.

Have a great weekend.  See you Monday.

One Hundred Hearts

I'm celebrating a milestone. I have been given 100 hearts by fans/supporters of DFJewelry for my Etsy shop.  Thanks to everyone who has "hearted" me or made me a favorite.   If you haven't yet visited my shop, click here to go to my Etsy shop,  on the right, click on "add seller to Favorites" Thanks for your support.

Free Coffee at Starbucks April 15

      Starbucks offer for April 15

Bring your own reusable mug, we'll fill it for free on April   15. Together, let's stop making waste.

Vertical Gardening

Woollypocket is a company that makes modular growing pockets from 100% recycled plastic bottles.  The pockets are used to create an instant lush Living Wall any size on any vertical surface, indoors and out.

Wouldn't it be great for growing fresh herbs in your kitchen or hanging from the deck railing? 

Instead of art on the wall, how about a vertical "garden"?  

The vertical Wollypockets are called Wallys.  Click here to check the website for configurations, colors and the growing/watering system.

Narcissus Love

It's too early to plant annuals and perennials are not blooming this early in Michigan.

I love early color in the garden from bulbs.

Narcissus are my favorites because they aren't fussy about soil or sun and deer and other pesky animals will leave them alone.

I enjoy the variety of species and plant in clumps of 5-8 bulbs.