Wednesday, May 4, 2011

It Finally Happened...

My roses came back in full bloom!!

But before I get ahead of myself, allow me to refresh your memory. Back in January I was advised to prune our way-overgrown rose bushes from this:


All the way down to this:


And to be honest, I wasn't convinced they would really come back with a vengeance this spring.

But then I had some hope when I noticed a little growth in late February:


Though still not enough to make me a believer. That is until what seemed like overnight the rose bushes were suddenly full and lush green. And finally, last month I notices an abundance of these:


Sorry no picture of the rose bushes as a whole, but believe me, they are so much healthier than in picture #1 up on top. And within a few sunshine-filled days, I was graced with these amazing blooms lining my front yard:




Again, sorry for the lack of pics of the whole thing! Just imagine these multiplied by twenty and you will start to get a mental picture.

Last weekend I cut two dozen roses (pictured above) and spread them in arrangements throughout the house, and then cut another dozen for my mom, and incredibly, I hardly dented the abundance of flowers left!I think it's safe to say there will definitely be no shortage of fresh blooms in my home for the next several months. Happy day!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Design on a Dime: Pretty Glass Lamp

Want to see something pretty? Take a peek at the new addition to my cozy room! Ahh, the lovely gourd-shaped glass lamp I've been in search of for more months than I care to recount. And it's purple!


The best part about my find (and the real reason I'm showing it to you)...wait for it...I snagged this baby for just eight beans at a thrift store last weekend! Finding the exact thing you're looking for at a steal of a deal-priceless!

Now if I could just find a round pedestal side table for that corner...

How about you? Find any great purchases on the cheap lately?

Monday, May 2, 2011

Major Fail

So it's May. And I didn't post a single blog last week {hanging head in shame}. I think it's safe to say the month of April was a slight blogging fail. I won't even bore you with the details of how much Chris and I worked last week, or how I had an awful stomach flu or how I just had no energy to type. Because they sound so lame.

But I'm here to make up for it by way of this virtual bouquet of roses I picked from my garden, especially for you! That certainly gets me back in your blogging good graces, right? You know you want to sniff your monitor, and I don't blame you, they smell something heavenly!


Perfect, so let's move on and hope that the month of May has more regular and exciting posts ahead! I promise it will! Wishing you a wonderful Monday!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Earthly Love


Happy Earth Day! I want to let you in on a little secret: in honor of Earth Day, if you bring your own tumbler into Starbucks today, you will receive a free brewed coffee or tea! You're welcome:)

Today is a bit insane for me, so I just wanted to say Happy Friday and wish you a very happy Easter weekend! See ya next week!

image/via

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Getting Sidetracked


With Easter brunch a mere four days away, I've been busy deciding what to bring, as I have volunteered for dessert duty. Though apparently I've gotten rather sidetracked because while a far cry from dessert, I am now dying to try these basic but lovely looking deviled eggs with smoked paprika. Most of my 25 years, I have turned my nose up to deviled eggs, but lately, I think my tastebuds may be changing!

Whatever I do end up making for dessert, you can bet a pretty tray of these will be coming too!

image/via

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

{Gluten Free} Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart

I've been pretty good about taming my sweet tooth as of late (with the exception of that amazing creme brulee on my birthday, of course!). And so, it felt like an appropriate time to finally bake something ooey, gooey and chocolatey this weekend! And amazingly, what caught my sweet affections was this gluten-free chocolate peanut butter tart I spotted over at A Home in the Making. Because for one, who doesn't go bananas for any chocolate peanut butter combo, and second, it's always nice to have recipes on hand for those with food allergies. So I gave it a shot. And to say my husband and I were impressed would be an understatement.

The texture is silky and decadent and perfectly chocolately paired with a slightly salty crust. It's lovely. And if you happen to leave it in the freezer for a few hours, it resembles something of an ice cream cake texture. Be still my heart!





Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
Seen on A Home in the Making

Ingredients:
Peanut Butter Crust
1/4 cup crunchy natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup blanched almond flour, packed
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons honey

Chocolate Filling
1 can coconut milk
4 tablespoons honey
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chips
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
3 egg yolks

Method:
Peanut Butter Crust

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Melt peanut butter and butter in a heat proof bowl.
3. Stir in vanilla, egg and honey.
4. Add dry ingredients and stir to form dough. It'll be sticky.
5. Press the dough up the sides of a 9" tart pan.
6. Bake for 20 minutes. At 20 minutes, turn off the oven and do not open the door. Leave until ready to assemble.

Chocolate Filling & Assembly

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/4 cup coconut milk, honey and salt and simmer on low.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the rest of the coconut milk and cocoa powder. This helps the de-clump the cocoa powder. Add the mixture to the saucepan.
3. In another separate bowl, separate the egg yolks, and slight beat with a fork. Add 1/2 cup of the warmed coconut mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly and then add the egg mixture back into the saucepan.
4. Keep whisking. Cook for 3-5 minutes over medium-low heat stirring until mixture coats the back of a spoon.
5. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, chocolate and butter until chocolate and butter are melted.
6. Remove your tart shell from the oven, and pour chocolate filling in almost to the brim.
7. Cool tart uncovered in the freezer until the top becomes firm. Transfer to the refrigerator and cover with plastic wrap.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Weekend in Photos

I know this doesn't come as a surprise to anyone, but I am hardly ready for the weekend to be over! It was lovely and warm and everything a perfect Spring weekend should be!

We enjoyed a delicious breakfast my hubby whipped up, walked our pups to the park down the street where they were able to get a load of energy out, celebrated at a lovely bridal shower for one of my dearest friend's little sister, and finally, savored some fabulous homemade ravioli with Chris' parents! But I guess the fun had to end sometime...Merry Monday!

{My husband is the best!}

{Don't mind Abby-she had just taken a dip in our pool}

{The lovely bride-to-be and her mom. Love these ladies!}
{Delicious bruschetta}
{Ravioli making!}
{The spread: sun dried tomato and artichoke, spinach and ricotta and
butternut squash in a brown butter sage sauce - All amazing!}
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...