four ingredients.

roasted brussel sprouts and shallots (ina garten’s recipe)

what you need:

brussel sprouts

shallots

olive oil

course salt

figure out the ratios of the above to your liking. then chop off the ends of the sprouts and discard the outer leaves. then half or quarter them depending on size. chop up your shallots into small strips. spread the brussel sprouts and shallots on a cookie sheet. (one with sides is best.) drizzle with olive oil and add your salt. toss. throw it in the oven at 400 degrees and roast for 25-35 minutes. pull the pan out once during that time and shake the ingredients around so they evenly cook.

and then enjoy. so yummy and so easy! not to mention, it’s a full serving of veggies, my friends!

what $14.14 gets you at goodwill.

i decided to hit up goodwill in avon lake today. uh, it was packed. it was insanity. apparently saturday is THE day to go to goodwill. i’m glad i faced the crowd though because i found a few gems. and i got them all for a grand total of $14.14.!

the bowls

i scored a set of two small bowls that are the perfect size for filling with a hearty helping of soup this winter. they are marked with “mancer” on the bottom. i tried to google this but couldn’t find much except that it is italian. the colors are great and i especially love the “drips” on the inside edges.

the plate

this is the mystery item i purchased. it is an approximately 9″ plate marked on the bottom with “the bailey-walker vitrified china 1929“. but that marking doesn’t explain the big “M” bannered with “OHIO” on the top of the plate. any ideas?

and a bassinet

after i purchased this, i texted my husband to inform him we were the proud owners of bassinet. i don’t think he believed me at first. but here’s the deal. this bassinet is in great shape and was only $6. and i’ve been looking for one to use at craft shows to display my lovely ruby alabama items. so, now i have one. and who knows–maybe it will come in handy some day for its real purpose.

9 more weeks ’til spring.

i read this on a sign yesterday.

9 isn’t a big number. but when it’s followed by “weeks”, it doesn’t seem so small either.

this ohio winter–what little we’ve seen so far–has been dark and dreary. i need a freakishly warm day with sunshine (and i’m not talking 39* with a hint of sun) so i can ditch the jacket and gloves and scarf and hat and run free, unencumbered by winter wear just like in this photo i found on deviantart.

so what are you doing to steer clear of the winter doldrums while we impatiently wait for spring? give me some tips! i need them.

my bag of wonders.

i liken myself to mary poppins in a few ways. i like to randomly break out into song. i enjoy a carousel ride now and again. and i also own a bag of wonders that reminds me a lot of mary poppins’ very special carpet bag.

my bag of wonders is my oversized, overstuffed purple purse. it is about the size of a carpet bag and has three compartments–one of which I don’t even use. i’m not really sure how my lifestyle warrants a bag this large. although, i somehow manage to fill the space. (it’s sort of like how a goldfish’s size depends upon the size of its tank.) but not only is my bag unnecessarily large, it also is magic.

and here’s the proof…

i recently purchased a pair of black gloves. i wore them twice and was rather pleased with my purchase. and then one day, i wore them out and then stored them in my purse upon arrival at my destination. when it was time to leave, i pulled them back out only to discover that they were no longer of the same style. how does this happen? like i said–magic. (i really thought i had entered the twilight zone for a moment.) and then, the very next day, i was dressing to head out of the house again and found that my purse contained only one of the two gloves! the other one had disappeared.

am i a forgetful jones that loses her possessions regularly? no. really–i’m not! it’s the bag, people! hey, if mary poppins can pull coat trees out of her carpet bag, my purse can swap out and then lose my glove. and that’s my story and i’m sticking to it!

one cute thing. one sad thing.

so the cute thing is my bunny rabbit salt and pepper grinders. you squeeze their ears to make the magic happen. and they are magnetic and hang out on the fridge greeting you each time you reach for chocolate almond milk (it’s so good, people).

the sad thing is my orchid. it was so stinking healthy when i bought it. what happened!? i am following the care instructions–watering with two ice cubes once a week. um, it’s not working…obviously. any suggestions? i really want this little guy to pull through.

(okay–i just bumped my desk on which the orchid sits and another petal fell off. send help now!)

amy butler towels at bb&b.

am i the last person to know that bed bath & beyond carries amy butler product? i just read about it in country living magazine. (that’s right–i subscribe!)

in particular, the towels are quite lovely and are made from a 100% organic cotton blend. they retail for $12.99 each which isn’t bad and considering that bb&b sends out a 20% off coupon just about every week, I may just snag some of these.

tomato soup and cast iron skillet cornbread.

i made two recipes from my new cookbook veganomicon by isa chandra moskowitz and terry hope romero. i was so pleased and relieved when they both turned out to be delicious and satisfying. i say relieved because there is nothing worse than spending loads of dough on ingredients, slaving in the kitchen for two hours and then sitting down to a less than tasty meal.

you would never know that the creamy tomato soup is vegan. i used two cans of fire roasted tomatoes. one of the two had diced peppers in it which kicked up the heat a notch or two. it was a nice touch. my husband awarded the highest of compliments to this soup. he said it was a soup he would expect to get at the souper market. and note–he is not a vegan. so that is double the points!

the cornbread has a great texture. it’s not too sweet either–just right. i’ve made other vegan cornbread recipes and none compare to this one. and there is something about making it in the cast iron skillet that makes it even more special.

i’m eyeing up a few other recipes in this book including leek and bean cassoulet with biscuits. leeks are so magical. plus it’s another opportunity to use my cast iron skillet.

twenty ten.

not to be a hack but i do have a few things on my to do list for the new year. call them resolutions if you like. i’m not going to because i’m afraid that the word alone will carry the “broken resolution” curse with it.

but nevertheless,

i want to…

meditate more

worry less

go for walks and soak in the fresh air and my surroundings

incorporate music into my life in a bigger way

eat clean, healthy food

trust my gut

believe in myself

know that all things are possible

laugh more (including at myself)

always show my husband how much i love and respect him

and…

stop overfeeding my cat (i am not resilient to her cries and cute looks)

inspiration. (and cute clothes.)

i spotted a cute new “hard tail forever” outfit for sale at inner bliss yoga studio. i decided to check it out online at the hard tail site. that’s when i stumbled upon the photo album showing the images that hard tail uses in their current ad campaigns. (there are five pages of images, so be sure to click on them all.)

uh, here’s a new year’s resolution if you’re looking for one: health, fitness, strength, flexibility. and some cute new workout duds. sign me up!

two new things that i enjoy.

#1

the new dos equis commercials featuring the most interesting man in the world.

these commercials are just so well done. from the most interesting character to the filming style to the voice over. smart, quality advertising.

watch one here. youtube the rest because you’ll want to see them all.

#2

kingsford, the tiny pig.

this pig is so small and so adorable i asked my husband several times whether it was even a real, live pig. i would honestly get one if it would stay this small forever. and then i would put it in some fancy handbag and proudly carry it about.

see kingsford here.