Devonly

New blog site

2010-11-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

Devonly has moved! Please check out my new and improved blog here: www.devonly.com. All my past posts have been moved over to the new site, so everything I have done will now be available at that location. The new site will include all my recipes that have been catalogued for easy searching, a section dedicated to my jewelry and links to my Etsy shop, as well as all the other goodies that come with a blog. Please update your RSS links and bookmarks to make sure you stay close and updated on all the excitement here at Devonly. I hope to see you at the new site!

Roasted Acorn Squash with Grain and Warm Spice Salad

2010-09-29T05:53:00.001-07:00

After an entire summer of light meals and fresh crisp produce, I start craving a warm hearty meal once the leaves start to turn. I know in some areas of the country it's still really warm, and turning your oven on sounds about as good as snuggling up to a porcupine. But here in the Pacific Northwest, fall has arrived! I absolutely love fall. It's by far my favorite season. Something about the crisp sunny days, bringing out the scarves and sweaters, the beautiful colors of all the leaves turning...and the food! I instantly want a slow-cooked roast, comforting potatoes, stews and warm fresh bread, ginger and cinnamon in everything, and squash. Oh, the magical squash! I don't think there's a thing I don't like about squash. Well, maybe that the majority of it isn't available year-round! There's nothing you can't really do with a squash. You can steam, boil, or roast it. You can chop it up, scoop it up, puree it up. It goes great in all kinds of stews, pastas, salad toppers, breads, pies, cakes, as a taco filling, a hearty addition to almost any entree, and in this case: it even acts as a bowl!

Which brings us to the humble acorn squash. It's small size and super-easy preparation makes it ideal for a quick, painless, week-night meal (and great for almost any number of people you happen to be serving). This "ease of use" so-to-speak, is why I've gravitated to it more and more over the years. I don't have to commit to a huge pumpkin or large butternut squash if I don't have more than one way I want to be using any said squash at one time. And not only are they so versatile and tasty, they're really good for you! Not only is it chocked full of vitamins (most noteably vitamin A, but in case you were curious, just the acorn alone has: vitamin C, manganese, potassium, folate, vitamin B complex, and omega 3 fatty acids [referenced here]), but fiber-rich and low in fat. And the ever-popular butternut is also high in folic acid. Now, what's not to like about all that!?!

So, if you haven't ventured down the gourd section of your local produce retailer, or think they are all solely used for decorating door steps and holiday table centers, I encourage you to pick up a little acorn squash and give it whirl. And if you end up not liking it plain, turn into these, which I know you'll love!

You will need:

1 acorn squash, cut in half and seeds scooped out

1/4 cup wheatberries*

1/4 cup couscous*

1 cup torn, packed spinach

1/4 cup golden raisins

2 TB pine nuts

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, finely shredded

2 TB lemon juice

2 TB apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 TB olive oil

1 TB honey

1/4 tsp. each: cinnamon, cumin

1/8 tsp. each: cloves, curry powder, turmeric

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place squash, cut side up, on a baking sheet or in a glass dish. sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dot with a little butter on the inside. Bake 30-35 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife.

2. Meanwhile, cook grains according to package directions.

3. Place spinach in a large bowl and set aside.

4. Toss together the raisins, pine nuts, onion, garlic, and carrot in another bowl, set aside.

5. Whisk together the lemon juice through the spices in a small bowl and set aside.

6. When the grains are done cooking, drain if necessary and toss immediately with spinach, causing it to wilt slightly. Add in the raisin mixture and dressing, tossing well to combine. Spoon into squash halves and enjoy!

I do hope you get to enjoy some of this season's finest produce, and not just in the form of your Thanksgiving Day pie.

Devonly,

Yours

* These are just the grains I happened to have on hand. And in fact, the couscous was a harvest grain blend. Feel free to use whatever grains you like or keep handy. Even a mix of lentils and wild rice would be nice!

Four

2010-09-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today, you made me your wife. Four years ago, I didn't know how happy I would be four years later. Thank you for being my other half. I love you more than words.

Happy Anniversary, sweetie.

All my love,

Devon

2010-08-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

Finally! I'm getting to posting some of the jewelry that I've been working on! These few pieces were a commissioned group that I was handing over to the future owner, so I was forced to quickly photograph them before they left Devonly. But I also got a brand new lens for my birthday from my dear husband, so expect more (and much better) photos soon. And there is LOTS to photograph! However, not too soon - we're headed to EUROPE next week!!!!!!!!! Can I get some more !!!!!!!!!! (can you tell I'm a little excited?) Neither Jason or I have ever been, and well, needless to say (!!!!!!!!!!!!!) we're pretty excited about it.

Anywho....back to what I was saying....jewelry! These dainty, flirty little pieces are so fun yet simple to wear. I always get so many compliments when one is strung around my neck. The necklaces hook by threading the stone through the metal piece. Forgive me as I don't remember what that is called at the moment...do you know?

Hopefully, there will be more like these popping up in my Etsy shop very soon! Hope you like them! As for me, I'm off to get ready for our trip - the countdown has begun! And my list is ever so long, so friends and fellows, have a wonderful week!

Devonly,

Yours

Just do it

2010-08-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

Don't think about this happy little accident I discovered. Just make it, eat it, savor it, and make it again and again and again.

You will need:

Juice from one lime

Half of one small red onion, thinly sliced

Radishes, sliced

Feta cheese

1. Toss the red onion in the lime juice and allow to sit for 3 hours to one day until "pickled".

2. Toss together desired amounts of the onions and remaining ingredients and serve. Toss with a tiny bit of balsamic vinaigrette if desired.

I have been so in love with quick-pickled veggies this summer, especially red onion. And steeping them in lime juice is a quick easy way to do that while avoiding all the sugar from more conventional forms of pickling. This little salad would be a perfect side to pulled pork, grilled chicken salads, or just in mass quantities, as I've been enjoying it over simple greens. It's the perfect mix of salty, tangy, and has that umami sensuality to it.

Devonly,

Yours

Lavender-Fennel Ice Cream with Fennel-Black Pepper Shortbread

2010-08-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

I love to experiment with odd combinations of flavors, and have really begun to explore more spices/herbs. I also have been tumbling around the idea of a fennel seed-inspired ice cream flavor in my brain for quite some time. Fennel and black pepper, fennel and strawberry, fennel and ouzo…(my culinary imagination can really run wild sometimes!). Then low and behold, the talented Miss Orangette posted a straight-up fennel ice cream recipe! So, I thought, well I should give this a try just plain and taste my way through different combinations with this fennel seed that has been captivating my attention for some time. However, being the procrastinating type that I am, I had yet to make this ice cream when I found and impulsively bought (and proceeded to impulsively eat) a lavender-fennel goat cheese from my local Whole Foods. Aha! I found my combination! I had been perfecting my lavender ice cream recipe for a few months now and have finally found one that is a cut above the rest. So, why not just add some fennel seed to that? So I did. The combination of the aromatic lavender and the subtly pungent fennel seed is just plain delicious. I know it sounds a little odd, but the fennel is rather subtle sly in this combination. The lavender is the first taste you get and the strongest, but if you close your eyes and think fennel, you get a soft ending to your bite of the mildest licorice. And for those of you not crazy about fennel, or a licorice of any kind, you will probably not even know it’s there. It’s sweet, refreshing, and oh-so-summery.

So now that I found my simple yet complex ice cream, I needed to flair it up a bit. So I whipped up a batch of what I like to call “crookies”. It’s kind of a cross between a cracker and a shortbread cookie. I took a basic shortbread cookie recipe and made it savory with lots of black pepper and more fennel seeds. Just in case you didn’t taste it the ice cream, you’re sure to get a punch of the fennel in the crookies. To eat with afternoon tea, made into ice cream sandwiches, or gobbled up straight out of the cookie jar!

Lavender-Fennel Ice Cream

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons dried lavender seeds

2 Tablespoons dried fennel seeds

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

1 Tablespoon raw honey

1 cup granulated sugar

10 egg yolks

1. Combine the whole milk, lavender, fennel, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium-high heat until milk begins to boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and honey in a non-reactive bowl and whisk until well incorporated and the mixture begins to lighten in color.

3. Strain the lavender-fennel seeds from the milk and slowly begin to temper the warm milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly.

4. Return the mixture to the large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken, 5-8 minutes. You will know it will be thick enough when you draw a line across the back of the wooden spoon and it holds those borders.

5. Remove from the heat and stir in the whipping cream. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate until well chilled, preferably overnight.

6. Follow manufacturer’s directions on an ice-cream maker and freeze until firm, at least one hour.

Fennel-Black Pepper Shortbread “Crookies”

1 stick butter, at room temperature

½ cup shortening

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

½ teaspoon dried fennel seeds

1 egg white + ½ teaspoon water

freshly ground black pepper and crushed fennel seeds for rolling

1.Combine the butter, shortening, and sugar in a large bowl and beat on low until well combined.

2. Add the flour, salt, black pepper, and fennel seeds and beat until mixture begins to ball up.

3. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap and roll into a log, covering entire log with the wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Place the black pepper and crushed fennel seeds onto a cutting flat surface, such as a cutting board or large plate. Brush the outside of the log with the egg white and water mixture and roll in the pepper and seeds. If the log is too soft after rolling in the seeds, re-wrap in the plastic and refrigerate until firm again.

6. Cut into 1/4” slices and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until slightly golden-brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely.

Serve cookies and ice cream together, as a sandwich, and enjoy!

Devonly,

Yours

Monday Morning

2010-08-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

Look what was waiting outside my front door on my lavender to greet me this morning!

After some light research, I discovered this is a yellow crab spider. Luckily they are not poisonous and avoid humans at all costs. I also learned that they are sometimes referred to as "flower spiders" because they tend to wait on the petals of flowers to catch their prey, or "wandering spiders" because they do not build webs, but are more active hunters. They are also found mostly in Kentucky. Poor little guy is a LONG way from home!! It caught my eye right away as I walked outside - the contrast of colors from his bright yellow body to the purple lavender is stunning!

Oh, and if you ever wanted to do any research on spiders via the inter web, I must advise you not to have just eaten a hearty breakfast if you get slightly queazy at the sight of very large spiders on your computer screen. I might be a little green still...

Devonly,

Yours

'Round Here

2010-07-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

Summer has just begun around here, so it seems. That includes:

The first canning of the season: Red Tomato Marmalade.

My first colander full of harvested veggies from the garden.

Lots of laying in the sunshine and rolling in the dirt.

Curious and energetic chicklettes.

Checking for eggs...

...Nothing yet.

Hope your summer is full of long days and bright sunshine!

Devonly,

Yours

Rainy Day Grainy Salad

2010-06-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

Bulgar. Most commonly known in the Greek dish, tabbouleh. While tabbouleh is great, sometimes I'm just not feeling something Greek. So, I decided to give the humble bulgar a second chance at something, well, not Greek. This salad was thrown together literally with ingredients I had in my kitchen or garden and thrown together quickly. It makes a great lunch salad and would be great as a main entree topped with a little grilled chicken. And ok, if you're feeling the Greek thing, even a little feta cheese mixed in would be a nice addition. This is somewhat a more hippy-dippy take on a classic "rice and beans" combo, except the "rice" is the bulgar and the "beans" are the lentils. I like to use black beluga lentils - they have a nice small size and don't get mushy in turn making your salad more of a "dip" and the color is beautifully contrasted with the rest of the ingredients. Plus you can buy them pre-cooked and cooled at Trader Joe's for practically pennies!

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgar, cooked according to directions and cooled

1 cup cooked and cooled lentils

3 stalks celery, quartered lengthwise and diced

1/2 cucumber, diced

3/4 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

3 green onion stalks, chopped

2 cups arugula (or more for us arugula fanatics!), roughly chopped

2 TB fresh squeezed orange juice

1 1/2 TB sherry vinegar

1 TB honey

2 TB grapeseed oil (or other light oil)

Salt and pepper*

Combine the bulgar through the arugula in a large bowl. In a separate small dish, whisk together the remaining ingredients and toss with the bulgar mixer to combine.

* Be sure to season this salad well. Enough salt and pepper can make a world of difference in the quality of a chop salad like this.

Devonly,

Yours

Chicklettes

2010-05-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Chickies are getting SO BIG! However, sad to say: turns out one is a rooster. I had already contemplated what I was going to do with a rooster if I ended up with one. Well, maybe not exactly what I was going to do but whatever it was it involved not keeping it. BUT....

He's the nicest, sweetest, gentlest (need I mention quietest?) one of the lot. He will gladly hop right up into my hands and perch on my arm. He will snuggle up on my lap and lay down for a nap. Oh, I'm so torn...Jason keeps reminding me they are food and not pets, but just look at them! You try telling any Polly Ana with half a heart beat you want to kill that soft little fluff ball that thinks you're it's mother and well...it's just not gonna happen. That being said, anyone know of what I can do with a rooster or where I can send it that they won't give it the 'ole Anne Boleyn?

They do this really cute thing when I take them outside in the sunshine - they half lay/half fall down onto one side and spread their little wings out. It's the funniest thing I've ever seen! I had two perched on my arm doing just that. What a sight to see! I was tickled pink. I will definitely have more pictures to come soon. I actually took these pictures last week and they already are so much bigger! Their feathers are just popping out of them as fast as you can blink.

Until then, chirp chirp and peep peep!

Devonly,

Yours

The Wind Beneath My Soul

2010-05-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

A cool spring breeze whistled through the house this evening, dancing sunshine across my neglected piano. There was laundry to be done, dished to be put away, and a never ending list of things to do. But the ache of forgotten chords drew me in.

My tired and warn fingers flew across the soft, cool white keys as my heart soared and wept with music that sings my soul. Music that has known so much sorrow, joy, suffering, and hope.

My fingers grew tired and sore, and the cool breeze turned them icy cold. But still I kept playing. Like two lovers being reunited, my piano embraced me and I fell hard on it's shoulders.

You feel like home.

Devonly,

Yours.

Rhubarb Crisp

2010-05-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

I have never actually cooked with rhubarb before, it seems quite intimidating to me actually. I never know if I should cook it sweet or savory, if it is a vegetable or a fruit? This year, however, there have been piles of it placed next to the juicy cartons of strawberries and instantly the combination makes me want a fruity crisp. My first attempt at making this crisp involved strawberries, and it was a disaster. I couldn't tell if it was the "compote" ingredients I used to cook down the rhubarb, the strawberries, or the fact that I accidentally doubled the amount of butter necessary for this amount of topping. Either way, the second batch was much more successful so I'll just give it to you straight. I tried it out on my friends, and it was passed around the table and devoured in minutes flat.

This is a little tart, so you can always add more sugar to your taste, but I actually really emjoy its tartness. Serve with some vanilla ice cream or lemoncello, and you've got a spring dessert that is worthy of company!

You will need:

About 1 lb. rhubarb stalks (8 stalks), leaves and ends trimmed

zest and juice from one lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup + 2 TB Bisquick

1/2 brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 TB ground flax seed

1 TB wheat germ

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the rhubarb into 1/2" slices and combine with lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occassionally until rhubarb is tender but still holds its shape, about 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Combine the oats, Busquick, brown sugar, cinnamon, flax seed, and wheat germ in a bowl and mix to combine.

Pour the rhubarb into an 8x8" baking dish, or other very cute baking dish you may have. Top with the oat mixture and pour the butter over the top. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until crust is nicely brown and juices begin to bubble up from the bottom. Let cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

There's nothing like baking with in-season produce and enjoying it at it's peak! Hope your family loves this as much as mine did.

Devonly,

Yours

The Gregorys + three

2010-04-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

We have three fluffy, chirpy little additions to the Gregory family! Meet Henrietta, Pepper, and Lucy! I haven't chosen which name will go with which chick yet, I'm still getting to know their personalities. But one has quite a set of lungs on her, so I'm thinking she might be Pepper. They are the cuttest, tiniest, softest little fluff balls ever! They are all Cuckoo Marans, and I can't wait to see their "chocolate" eggs!

Since it's a yucky rainy day outside, we just have to look out and take a peek at their new home. Tomorrow if it's nice I'll take them out on their first outing!

They seemed very curious and inquisitive about the yard. Or maybe they were just admiring the pretty flowers in the window box Jason just installed outside our kitchen window.

It was at this point of the photo shoot that I was aware that Harley was trying his hardest to climb up in the counter to check them out, having his back two legs on the ground and the other two on the counter! He just goes bananas when they're around. I introduced each one to him and he was shaking so hard his teeth were chattering! I'll have to wait until Jason gets home and can help control everyone before I can snap a few photos of the interactions.

Meanwhile, Jason has been working hard on getting their coop built:

The outside shell is all put together, now it's just to complete the house-part, the nesting boxes, the doors, and the remaining chicken wire on the outside. Oh, it's going to be so cute! (It even has a little flower window box! Oh!!)

In other news around here, I've been making some wonderful necklaces that I can't wait to show you! Hopefully I will have them up by the end of the week, and listed in my Etsy shop. Until then, my friends, it's off to bake muffins, dance with the broom, and pet the puppy.

Devonly,

Yours

Winters-Not-Quite-Over-Yet-Vegetable Soup

2010-04-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

Just when you start seeing fresh tomatoes and berries in the grocery store and start daydreaming of the long summer nights, eating outside until it's late, and all the magical produce that comes with warmer weather, you look outside and realize it's still in the 40's - 50's and raining. And then all you want is a warm bowl of comfort.

I made this soup for some friends and we (mostly I) ate it up so fast, I didn't have time to take a picture of it! Yes, I know this is like breaking the first cardinal rule of blogging about recipes - not to post a picture, but imagine it looks something like this:

Plus a dash of this:

Got the jist? OK.

You're gonna need:

I large yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, cut in quarters lengthwise and chopped

2 celery ribs, cut in half lengthwise and chopped

1 small acorn squash, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped into 1/2" cubes

about 6 cups GOOD chicken stock

1 (14oz) can chopped tomatoes

1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained

2 bay leaves

2 TB freshly chopped basil

1 TB freshly chopped thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 bunch chard

Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

1. Heat 2 TB olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot, stirring until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and still for 1 more minute.

2. Add the acorn squash and the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, chop the ribs of the chard and set aside. Slice the leaves of the chard into quarters and roughly chop about 1" thick. Add the stems of the chard and the remaining ingredients minus the chard leaves and cook until heated through, about another 10 minutes.

4. Add the chard leaves to the soup and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. To serve, top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, or any other favorite hard nutty cheese.

I also made mine the day before and let it sit overnight before re-heating and serving, and it was delicious! This soup is so comforting and reminds me of home so much, I hope it becomes a staple in your home and warms you up on a chilly spring (or winter!) evening. Enjoy!

Devonly,

Yours

Springing into a new life

2010-04-12T19:46:00.001-07:00

WARNING: This post is a little out of my norm - it's a reflection and meant to be a release for me. And it's a little long. So pour a glass of whatever you enjoy, and if you make it to the end, thank you.

Every spring, correction: every change of season, I get this little itch inside me for change, for newness, for life. It creeps up and crawls all over my insides making me want to break out of every restraint I have around my life.

I want beauty
I want life
I want freedom
I want soul

As Maroon 5 played over the satellite music station at the salon today and I made hair color and waxing appointments for grouchy Seattlites, I longingly looked outside and thought of my Dahlia bulbs that needed planting and the cute, colorful!! (we were all black at work...it's very hard to wear all black all the time) spring outfits that needed to be found and strutted about.

I thought about my friends, scattered all over the west coast: what they were writing, painting, building, reading, and how they were nurturing their souls and building character. And how cute they all looked doing it (Side note: this is the amazing thing about my network of friends - they look cute doing just about EVERYTHING. It gets to be rather annoying...just kidding, friends, you are the color in my photos, and the lace on my dress). And I began to feel myself become a little jealous. Thinking how much I've neglected this little blog that was started to inspire me, you, and be a creative outlet for me and how I missed it yet didn't have the energy to put into it or much of anything lately. Thinking how I've not been the friend or the wife I want to be.

And then I stopped myself. What's keeping me from doing that now? Even while working? I've thought for so long that I needed to go seriously part time or quit my day job to pursue myself and discover my soul more. But why can't I do it while working? Am I just using that as an excuse for not pursuing my passions and dedicating time to that? Part of it is that as we get older and think about bringing other little people into the world, I think about all the free time I won't have very soon, and the other part of it is that even though I don't work a full time job, there are a lot of other responsibilities on my plate with Jason traveling a lot and keeping up with the house, the dog, the groceries, the etc... And yes, it would be easier if I didn't have a job and that's what I really want. But maybe easier isn't what I need.

For the last two years or so I've been wanting to discover myself - to "arrive" at some point of knowing what goes on inside. And I'm not necessarily talking about counseling or therapy (which yes, I know would be a good thing to do as well). But maybe, hopefully, I've been doing that all along. Maybe, just maybe, in the piles of dishes, piles of dog hair and poop, in the nights alone and the tears, I've chiseled away just a little bit more of my shell and found a new part of me. And even though I don't necessarily have the journal entries, the paintings, the books put up to collect dust on my shelves, I have laugh lines, tear stains, plants that I've watched grow in, bottles (and bottles, and bottles!!) of wine in the recycling that have been drunk with friends.

So this spring, while life is emerging all around me, I will try and put to rest my desire to be the person I'm not, and embrace the person I am. I have to stop waiting for life to happen to me and make my life what I want it to be. Even if it doesn't look exactly like I thought it would.

Devonly,

Yours

Sweet tooth

2010-03-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, all you want is a cupcake.

That's how today is.

Devonly,

Yours.

Hello, Monday!

2010-03-01T16:36:00.000-08:00

Isn't it so in life, when you think you are making progress and something seems to be going your way, BAM! you are hit blind-sighted with failure and discouragement? I feel as I'm taking one step forward and two steps back in my studio. I was having such marvelous success on a ring using a beautiful piece of landscape jasper I started today to being with: everything soldered on the first attempt! It has been taking me 4-5 tries up until now. And then just as I was getting a little wind under my wings, the bezel was too tall and half the ring snapped off the back as I was man-handling it. So, I know it looks a little elementary and rough right now, maybe I can fix it. Oh, bother. It's all a learning process, I know. But I'm a little impatient (if you haven't already figured that out!) and easily discouraged when things don't work out just as I had planned them.

Well, friends, it's off to laundry, an energetic pup, and these! for an afternoon snack! Hope you've had a happy Monday!

Devonly,

Yours

Imitation Crab

2010-02-23T17:49:00.000-08:00

Introducing the first necklace I have made!! It only took me, oh...about 5 attempts to solder and a few hours, but I did it! I tell you what, solder is quickly becoming not a very good friend. Oh, well, I will get it soon enough!

I call this little cute one "Imitation Crab" because I set out making it not even thinking of crab and after I had it all put together I saw nothing BUT a crab with those little googly eyes staring up at me. Funny how that happens sometimes. But I'm rather pleased with it and almost like it better thinking of it as a little crab.

I hope you've had a lovely beginning to your week! I'm still enjoying 4 (read it and weep) days off due to the salon being remodeled. And I love it! Actually, I believe this will be my new permanent schedule. I am going to part time to focus more on art and jewelry. Something I've never been able to afford (monetarily or emotionally), and am taking this opportunity to listen to my soul scraping at my insides and go for it! Those of you who know me know how much I've been struggling with this and also how hard this has been for me. So, I want to thank all of you for your out-pourings of encouragement, love, and patience as I have been arriving at this place. That being said, I've had so much peace in the past few days while Jason is attending a conference.

And I feel so blessed.

Oh, and I NEED to tell you of my favorite new thing!

It is WELL worth the $28. Your house will smell ah-mah-zing! I can't stop spraying it. I didn't know anything could smell like this. I'm in serious nesting mode and this is only one of a few things I purchased to make my nest a little more cozy. More to show you later.

But until then, I'm afraid I'm in the kind of mood that if I don't stop myself know, I will never shut up! So, adieu for now, lovlies.

Devonly,

Yours

Spring Has Sprung!

2010-02-21T19:37:00.000-08:00

Shhh! Don't tell anyone, but spring is here and the cherry blossoms told me it's supposed to be 60 degrees tomorrow!

Chocked-Fulla-Granola

2010-02-17T10:40:00.000-08:00

There is a deliciously sweet smell wafting through my house right now as a HUGE batch of granola is cooling in my kitchen. Growing up, my mom used to make big batches of granola and we'd snack on it for weeks. Her favorite way is to eat it like cereal but as I've developed my own recipe to how I like it, my favorite way to eat it is with a dollop of greek yogurt and some cold poached pears. The lovely thing about this granola is that you can add and subtract the ingredients based on what you like in yours. Any combination of nuts, seeds, and fruits can be combined to make every batch a little different. You can even add some peanut butter to the "glue" if you're in a peanutbuttery mood.

Not only is this really easy to make, but it can be really healthy too! Unfortunately, this is about the least amount of sugar you can have per batch, you need the honey and brown sugar to make the glue and combine it all together. If you don't care for it clumpy, you can add less or even leave out the brown sugar entirely.

You will need:

For the "glue":

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup honey

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 TB. cinnamon

1 TB. water

For the "goodies":

One 18oz. container old fashioned rolled oats (about 5 1/2 cups)

2 - 3 cups mixed nuts (I like a combo of almonds and walnuts)

2 cups shredded coconut

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 flax seeds

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 generous cup seeds (I like sesame and pumpkin, heavier on the pumpkin seeds)

2-3 cups dried fruit (I really like dried tart cherries, currents, cranberries and maybe a little golden raisins)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine all the ingredients for the "glue" in a small saucepan over med-low heat and stir until combined and the honey is melted.

On a large baking sheet, combine all the ingredients for the "goodies" except for the fruit. Toss to combine (I find that your hands are the best mixers at this point).

Drizzle the sauce over oat mixture and toss to combine, being careful not to burn your fingers if using them to mix with!

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the top is just starting to get browned and you can start to smell the nuts, tossing once or twice during that time. Be careful to not over-brown and DO NOT toss once it comes out of the oven! Let it cool completely in the pan before breaking it up. This will help it to clump better. Once cool, break it up in handfuls and toss with the dried fruit. Store in a large glass jar on the counter for a few weeks, or you can freeze it in batches.

Yummy! Enjoy!

Devonly,

Yours

The Olympics (mountains, of course)

2010-02-17T10:16:00.001-08:00

Well friends, I have just spent the weekend with my dear friend in New York, walking miles and miles in the bitter cold winter that is the East Coast. But we were not cold - we had warm hearts, hours of endless conversation, delicious food, and the bright winter sun to keep us toasty. And now back on Pacific, I gaze at our mountains of earth and green trees after being surrounded by the Atlantic's mountains of steel beams and brown stones. My absolute favorite view in this city is driving up the Aurora viaduct on a sunny morning and seeing the snow capped mountains of the Olympics ablaze in the low morning sun. It's amazing I haven't had any fender-benders, as that scene demands all my attention.

So, here is ring number two! I call it the Olympics ring - after those jagged peaks of that gorgeous mountain range. I was actually surprised how easily this came together given that it was the first of it's kind I've ever attempted. However, I have not figured out how to size the rings very well yet. I thought this would be the perfect for my middle finger and alas, it's even too big for my thumb! But, I will get there, now that I know that pounding out a size "7" will in turn become more like an "8"! But I'm already planning out my next, and I'm rather excited to get it complete and show it to you! Until then...

Devonly,

Yours

Victory, sweet victory

2010-02-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

As I laid in bed waking up this morning, I was determined to not let my failures yesterday stop me so soon. So I threw on a sweatshirt and slippers and not even stopping for any morning tea went down to my studio and conquered that solder! Ahhh...it was so nice to see that solder flow. Of course, this ring is by no means perfect or really well done. I dropped the stone when fitting the bezel and broke it in half. Then proceeded to krazy glue it together (and to my self for a while as well!), I don't have the right polishing agents, so it's not quite as pretty as I would like it to be, I realized some solder didn't actually take and the tip isn't soldered correctly, and this was my very first attempt at doing a bezel (the part that wraps around the stone). But all in all, I'm very pleased and happy with the outcome! I will wear it proudly and puff up my chest, even though anyone who really knows anything about working with jewelry would most likely scoff at my elementary attempts. But I won't care, I'll flaunt it around and get a tan line around it.

Look for more to come hopefully soon!!!

Devonly.,

Yours

*Disclaimer: I know this may look like some other pieces that you've seen out there that are created by others. I in no way mean to copy or "steal" anyone's designs. I merely am trying to teach myself how to make things and am inspired by so many other artists. I truly am looking for my own voice with my art and I feel by exploring many other styles and concepts I will eventually find my own. So I sincerely hope and pray I have made no enemies by taking a wonderful idea and attempting it myself.

2010-02-08T16:52:00.001-08:00

As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right? Well, today when life gave me the wrong kind of solder that wasn't working on my long awaited jewelry project, I made chocolate chip cookies. That's what I love about cooking and baking - I know exactly what to do and most likely I have all the tools and ingredients already here. And if I don't, there are a million places I could find them within minutes from my front door. I don't have to order anything online that takes weeks to arrive. Thus, the great difference between cooking and silversmithing. Anyways, the dough is setting in the fridge, so I can't yet attest to their wonderfulness, but let's just say that both Harley and I are licking up any crumbs of dough that has splattered around the kitchen. In the raw, the dough is so good! I'm sure the cookies will be jut as divine.

Onto another note: You'll have to forgive me for being absent for (eek-gads!) months! I didn't really intend to take such a break, but here it is February and my last post was about using up Thanksgiving Day left-overs. I haven't been terribly busy per se - I mean, beyond the normal state of steady chaos that my life runs at - I just have been floundering at life. I have this terrible habit of finally being comfortable at one place in my life and then having a mini-crisis of sorts where I feel like I'm not doing what I should and quickly I'm planning my next greatest endeavor in life. My soul begins to scratch at my insides and won't let me rest until I'm well underway in investigating what it wants and doing some serious soul searching.

So, what does that next thing look like for me? Well, I don't really know yet. I know it involves dedicating more time to art and hopefully jewelry. (For christmas, Jason set my studio up and just today I was attempting to make my first piece. However, there are a lot of tools and supplies needed for one simple item, and it's very frustrating to do anything without them all. So, needless to say, I wish I had something to show you, but it would all look like scraps and random bits of things. Hopefully I will have something to share soon though!) Anyways...oh, yes - art and jewelry. I never have allowed myself scheduled time to pursue art the way I have always wanted to, and I think that is what my insides are telling me this time. And perhaps (hopefully!) this next step also involves some major veggies and chickens...but more to come on that later! So I hope to be doing some postings of a little different sort coming up soon and I hope that you'll enjoy them as much as I will!

Until next time,

Devonly,

Yours

Turkey Turkey, Soup Soup

2009-11-28T11:57:00.000-08:00

Confession: I don't really like Thanksgiving dinner. But somehow I keep making it every year. I guess some traditions are like that: you don't question what they are, you just keep doing it because you've always done it that way. So, I keep making the traditional dishes (and lots of it!!) every year and am stuck with a fridge full of left-overs I don't really want to eat anyways, and then I just wait until they have probably been in there too long to still be considered safe to eat and I can justify throwing away the pounds of food - probably enough to feed a starving village somewhere...ones with lots of flies everywhere.

But this year, I am determined to eat what I can stomach and make it into something I will actually like. And this winter has been the winter of soups for me - I've probably made one a week at least since the first scarf came out of the closet to warm my chilly neck. This soup is easy to prepare, and you will most likely have all the ingredients sitting around in your fridge anyways. And, dare I might say, your house just might smell even better than it did on Thanksgiving. You can also add any other veggies you have on hand (mushrooms, leek, etc.), these are just the ones I used.

You will need:

1 TB olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion (I even used green onions)
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup rice
2 cups turkey - pulled apart or chopped
6-10 cups water
4 stems kale, pulled from the stalk and chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over med-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrot. Stir occasionally until the veggies start to get soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about one minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the rice and stir for one minute. Add in the turkey and enough water to cover the ingredients by about 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 2. Stir in the kale and herbs, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. You can add more water at this point too if it's too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

So, if you're as sick of turkey sandwiches by now as I am, make this soup and you won't even know you're eating left-overs! Enjoy!

Devonly, yours

Goodie-Goodie-Gumdrop Salad

2009-11-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

No, this salad doesn't have gumdrops in it, but it sure has lots of goodies in it! And it's super yummy, perhaps causing you to exclaim "goodie-goodie-gumdrops!!" while consuming it bowl after bowl (which is what I've been doing lately!) You can mix-and-match veggies as you please or to what's in season. Either way you toss it, this salad is a great staple to any recipe library and keeps for a few days, so lunch is all ready and dinner's side dish is waiting for you when you get home.

You will need*:

6 cups chopped dark greens (kale, chard, mustard, etc.)

1 1/2 cups cooked, cooled grains (lentils, wild rice, quinoa)

2-3 cups chopped assorted veggies (tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, radish, fennel, broccoli)

1 lemon

1/3 cup well-stirred tahini

2 TB water

2 garlic cloves

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. sugar

To prepare salad, combine all the veggies in a LARGE bowl, set aside.

To make dressing**, combine the zest and all the juice of the lemon in a blender with the remaining ingredients***. Buzz a while till smooth and creamy. Toss with the veggies, and WA-LA! A wonderful year-round salad.

*In the salad I have pictured here (and if you're short on time and/or are close to a Trader Joe's), I combined TJ's chopped Southern Greens Blend, a pouch of TJ's pre-cooked Black Beluga Lentils, tomatoes, carrot, celery, and red onion.

Devonly, yours

**Recipe courtesy Epicurious.com

***You can also add a blop of honey if you want it a little sweeter, or some herbs or spices if you're feeling spicy

****My apologies for the funny spacing in the posts recently, I am being forced to post in IE as opposed to Firefox, and it makes all my spacing jankitty-like*****

*****Phew! That was a lot of footnotes!!

Pumpkin Cake with Ginger-Buttermilk Glaze

2009-11-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

If you're like me and made the pumpkin butter recipe from last week you feel like you still have a bunch left over even after putting it on and in anything you are consuming. So, that means it's time to make pumpkin cake! There's nothing I love more than smelling something containing pumpkin baking away in my oven. And especially if it's topped with a gingery goodness! So, when life gives you pumpkin butter, make pumpkin cake!

You will need:

Cake:

2 1/2 cups pumpkin butter*

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

Glaze:

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar

2 TB. butter

2 tsp. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1 TB. fresh ginger, minced

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a tube pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Step 2: Beat together eggs and butter in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add in the vanilla, pumpkin butter, and buttermilk. Beat until combined.

Step 3: In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt.

Step 4: Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixer in two batches, mixing completely between each batch. Pour into the prepared tube pan and bake 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Step 5: Cool 10 minutes in the pan and then turn over onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Step 6: Make glaze: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and drizzle over the cake.

Enjoy!
Devonly, yours

*If you do not have the pumpkin butter, you can substitute a 15oz can of pumpkin puree into the wet ingredients and 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp. Cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. cloves, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. allspice into the flour mixture.

Not So Fast!!

2009-11-05T08:54:00.000-08:00

This last weekend Jason and I did one last yard clean-up and prep for winter. It's so bittersweet pulling out all the vegetable plants that you nurtured and cared for all summer long and reaped such yummy produce from. But, they would have shriveled up and died anyways, so I guess I'm doing them the respectful duty of taking them while they still have some beauty, no?

Anyways, that's not my point. My point is: some of those dead things in your yard are actually quite beautiful and can still be put to some use. I saved some of the more odd and unique clippings from dead-heading my plants for the winter and some general pruning. Just arrange them together like you would a bouquet, and you have a lovely fall focal piece. If you have a lot of darker-colored dead-heading, it would be kind of a spooky porch-piece for Halloween. Too bad I decided to prune the day after...oh, well...Next year for sure!

It just might take some creativity and unlikely pairings. For my fall's end bouquet, i have clippings from:

Lavendar
Crocosmia
Arugula flowers
The last withering hydrangea flowers
Barberry

Dried fenel flowers

Devonly, yours

Currently Reading

2009-11-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

These are the books I have just finished, am currently reading, or am reading next (minus Marquez's Chronicles of a Death Foretold, which has been returned to it's owner..swoon!). And I will be reading them all in my lovely new chair. What are you reading?

Confessions of a reader:

1. I am quite sporadic in my reading. It could take me 3 days to 9 months to finish a book. Which, when doing the latter, is quite hard to follow an intricate story.

2. I'm rather rough on my books. I like to carry the one I'm reading with me - everywhere - in case I get the opportune time to hunker down in a cafe for a while with it. This means it's tossed into the large curjumbled abyss that is my purse along with other things that may or may not consist of that day's lunch, keys and general purse items, shoes (yes, my purse IS that big), water bottle, and perhaps a day's errand purchase or two.

3. I really don't read that much. Not nearly as much as I'd like to. It's getting better, but very slowly. Reading is an activity that I have to be sitting still, for a while and give all my attention to it. Therefore, this usually doesn't happen very often at home. Lately, Jason and I have been going to our local pub and he will work and I will read. This is the ONLY reason I still know anything that's going on or can keep any of the characters straight in Wuthering Heights.

Devonly, yours

Pumpkin Butter

2009-11-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

This Halloween, I didn't carve my pumpkins into silly faces and pictures, I carved them up for butter. Why waste one of fall's yummiest bounties? It's very easy to make and your house will smell delicious. Last year I attempted making a large batch and then proceeded to can it all for holiday gifts. However, I read promptly as my last batch was cooling that you are not supposed to can squashes of any kind for fear of easily producing bochelism. So, sorry friends, you didn't get any pumpkin butter last year. If you would like some this year, feel free to stop by with a container and I will give you some refrigerated butter!! This year I used a white pumpkin, but really any kind will do, even a butternut squash would be really tasty.

You will need:

1 small-medium pumpkin

1/2-1 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

juice from one lemon

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Quarter, peel, de-seed/de-slimmy stuff the insides, and chop your pumpkin.

2. Place your chopped pumpkin and about 1/4 cup water in a large soup pot and cook over medium to medium-high heat until it breaks down easily, about an hour.

3. If you have a food mill, run the pumpkin through that, otherwise, you can pass it through a sieve, removing any obvious pools of liquid as you go.

4. Return to the soup pot and combine the remaining ingredients over medium heat until nice and thick, about an hour.

5. REFRIGERATE, and enjoy! Great on breads, english muffins, in pancake batter, melted on top of ice cream or in a spicy pork sauce.

Devonly, yours

Corner Cozy

2009-10-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

What happens when you find three unassuming gift cards to Pottery Barn left over from your wedding 3 years ago? You have enough to buy a chair! (and a cute one at that!) It completes the cozy corner of our living room quite nicely, don't you think?

**Please ignore the ugly green-tile hearth and cords everywhere. That is one of the only areas of our home we haven't touched since moving in! But it's on the list, and moving to the top quickly!

Devonly, yours

House Plants

2009-10-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

A lot of my house plants have been out-growing their pots lately, so it's time to repot them into larger containers. However, there are some guidlines you should know about when repotting your house plants.

While you might think it would just be easier to stick your tiny plant into a large container as you think it might one day grow to that size, this is not the case. The new pot should be 1-2" larger in diameter (at the top) than the old pot - MAX. Because the roots of your plant are only a big as the last pot they were in, they would not be getting efficient water as all the water would sink to the bottom where the roots are not yet reaching. So you need to take it little by little when growing your indoor plants.

Also, holes at the bottom of the pot are essential for preventing root rot. Some suggest a gravely mixture at the bottom to aid in drainage as well. And speaking of rot: I've experienced a plant that will mold at the top from too much water if I'm not careful. This is a sure time to repot your plant.

And lastely, when you move the plant to the new pot, by pulling apart the roots you will help them grow into your new pot more quickly.

So, happy house planting to you and long live your house plants!

Devonly, yours

Fall's Glory

2009-10-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Some of you know how much I love love love fall. The crispness in the air, the bright golden light that seems to last all day, the leaves - Oh!! the leaves! Bundling up after a long summer of being exposed, comforting stews and squashes. But, my dear friends: do you also know how much I love pumpkin beer? And I'm not talking just any pumpkin beer. The Elysian Night Owl pumpkin beer is the best pumpkin beer you will ever have privy to try. And given that they only produce it during th fall months, I have to take in as much as possible while it's around. And last night was my first sip of the year. yummm.....this year they have prodiced a magnificent batch. The spices - allspices, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon - that they use really come through and it's the best yet.

Well, before you all go running to the Elysian, let me tell you about something that made me as giddy as school girl when I found out:

The 5th Annual Great Pumkin Beer Fest

30 pumkin beers on tap from various vendors plus 9 Elysian brews including Night Owl, The Great Pumpkin, Dark ’O the Moon Pumpkin Stout, Hansel & Gretel Ginger Pumpkin Pilsner, Mr. Yuck Sour Pumpkin Ale, Jack ’O Bite Barrel-aged Scottish Pumpkin Ale, Bete N’Owl Dark Belgian, 8472 Amber Sour and Pumpkin Hefeweizen.

Won't you come and join me in celebrating fall?

Oct. 10th 12-10pm & Oct. 11th 12-6pm

The Elysian, Capitol Hill

More flowers...

2009-09-19T09:17:00.001-07:00

Here is a photo from the wedding, by the professional! More to come later...

Devonly, yours

Photo courtisy: JKoe Photograpghy

Kelly and Brian's wedding

2009-09-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

I didn't take one.single.picture! How bad is that? I did all the flowers and decorations for the wedding and didn't get a single picture of the action. But, I did get to take a bunch of the flowers home, so I got a few pictures of my hard work. And the photographer took some amazing ones, which I will post as soon as I get my anxious little paws on them. Here's what they look like the day after - not quite as glorious but still quite beautiful:

The Bride's Bouquet:
(The groom's boutonniere was a white calla lily with 2 black fern curls. It was so cute!)

The Bridesmaid's Bouquets:

This arrangement was a large vase at the front of the church:

And lastly, the center pieces for the tables at the reception hall:

It was quite the stressful day, I must say! I didn't really imagine it being so stressful. Partly because on the morning of the wedding when I woke up to start the bouquets (I had planned the timing of the day with no room for error) all the calla lilies had died! Just *poof* Dead! They were a gross brown, decaying mess. I don't know what happened. So I had to make a bunch of phone calls, run around to some wholesale florists, and eventually found one that had a little less than half the number that we originally had (the bride wanted those to be the main flower). So, we made do, and hurried like crazy. I was making adjustments, giving directions, and organizing people until the minute the family was being seated.

But, all in all, it was a very successful, beautiful wedding. It's strange, because it felt a lot like mine - same time of year, same time of day, same order of events and timing of those events, similar look and feel to the sites, etc. So, afterward, I felt like I should be going on a honeymoon! The happy couple are honeymooning in Hawaii and I'm so jealous. And after all that hard work I put in, I think I deserve a little vacation!

Hope you enjoyed the photos, I know there are a lot, but they're all just so pretty! I will be posting the professional ones as soon as possible.

Devonly, yours

Autumnus Greatust

2009-09-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

We moved our television set downstairs and our couch is not at all comfortable. I like what it's doing to me.

What's does favorite non-tv night look like?

Devonly, yours

P.S. I hade my first batch of zucchini bread for the fall. Yes, I know zucchini is synonomous with summer, but I just can't bake that much during the warm months. Now that fall has arrived with a bang, I'm craving warm bread, tall boots, long scarves, and a crisp autumn afternoon.

2009-08-31T09:22:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law is getting married in T-minus 11 days and I'm helping them with different aspects of the wedding, which I'm having so much fun with. One thing we are doing is stamping cocktail napkins to have at the bar. They are so elegant and inexpensive to make! I bought the stamps at a local stamp store and the napkins at a party supply store. The total cost of the project for 300 napkins was $20.

You could do this easily for any occasion - a birthday, luncheon, dinner party...whatever event you are throwing!

Devonly, yours

A new love

2009-08-11T20:49:00.001-07:00

Lately I have been contemplating purchasing a Lomography camera. The basic idea behind a lomography camera is that it produces "happy accidents" by letting a little more light in, over-exposing, bluring the edges, etc. I use a website to treat my photographs before uploading them here and really like the "lomo" treatment. My friend let me borrow his Dianna to play around with. I am so desperate to see how my photos turn out - you actually have to have them developed! How much I have come to rely on the instant gratification of digital cameras. How did anyone ever know they took a good photo!?! But alas, I will wait...

I don't think that I actually used the camera properly for the first few frames - I couldn't quite tell if the film was advancing (or I was unwinding it, which was quite a pain in the keaster to wind!), and how far to advance it. So, I'll be curious to see what they look like.

I took her for a walk on Queen Ann. I went to school in that neighborhood and spend so many a hour walking those streets and lusting after those gorgeous homes. Here's a few snaps I took with my digital - can't resist the wait! But I'll definitely share the others with you once they're developed.

Cobblestone streets

Vines creeping along a curved wall

This is moss growing on top of a stone rail, so fuzzy!

Devonly, yours

Nature walks, sisters, and sunshine

2009-08-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

My sister has been visiting me this past week from California, and we've been enjoying all the beauty and oddly enough the sunshine of Seattle.

We were enjoying a walk through Lincoln Park in West Seattle, and there are these trees there - forgive me, I do not know what kind they are - but they reminded me of the manzenita in Northern California where I grew up and I love the way their bark peels off in these curls. Arent' they lovely?

The ocean was so peaceful and inviting (mostly because it was really hot and we wanted to go swimming!). Next time you go for a walk, take a camera and pay attention to the smaller things you might not normally notice.

Devonly, yours

Blackberry Cobbler

2009-08-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

My dear friends, do not let the humble appearance of this quaint looking cobbler fool you. I promise this is one of THE BEST cobblers you will ever have (move over mothers, there's a new kid in town!). My mom and I have been making this recipe every summer since I can remember. We would spend the warm summer evenings picking berries, our fingers dyed purple within minutes and scrapes up and down our arms reaching for the bigger, juicier berries just out of reach. It's one of the two recipes I actually have memorized and never skip a chance to make it. We even eat it for breakfast the next day it's so good. And dare I say it's a little bit healthy? You can of course use any fruit you like, but blackberries are by far the best. And perhaps you will want to make a double batch, it won't last long, I promise you that! Just see if you want to dilute it with ice cream!

You will need:

3-4 cups berries
1/3 cup sugar
1 TB flour
Dash of Cinnamon and Nutmeg
1 box Krusteaz Oat Bran Muffin Mix
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled butter

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2: Combine the berries, sugar, flour, and dash of cinnamon and nutmeg in an 8x8 dish.

Step 3: Pour muffin mix and the 1/4 tsp. nutmeg into a large bowl and cut in butter. Spread evenly over the berries.

Step 4: Bake for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

This dish says summer to me like nothing else. And brings me back to those warm summer evening sitting on my parent's back porch swing watching the sky turn gray. This is so easy and delicious, I hope you enjoy it!

Devonly, yours

Basil Gelato

2009-07-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

All I can think about in this heat is eating something cold. And that something is Basil Gelato. It's cool and refreshing, sweet but not overpowering, and earthy. Like something from a street-side cafe in Italy...

You will need:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks
3 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar Sugar
Fresh basil (about 1/2 cup lightly packed and torn)

Step 1: Mix milk and cream in medium saucepan. Warm until a foam forms on the edges of the mixture. Remove from heat.

Step 2: Beat together egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until frothy. Pour the egg mixture into the milk mixture while whisking constantly.
Return saucepan to medium heat. Stir with wooden spoon until mixture gels slightly and sticks to back of spoon. Remove from heat immediately.

Step 4: Pour mixture through a sieve to remove any egg lumps that may have formed. Cover and chill for several hours overnight.

Step 5: Put mixture and the torn basil into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers instructions.

Oh, heavens my!! This is so good! You will not be disappointed, I promise.

Devonly, yours

A few of my favorite things...

2009-07-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

My birthday is fast approaching and here are a few items on my "wish list" (if I had the money to have a wish list like this!)

How cute and comfortable is this?

This is perfect for bouncing around town in the summer time.

Everyone needs a pair of jeans that feel as comfortable as these look.

I've been pining after a watch lately, and this is the perfect balance between sophistication and casual attire, don't you think?

Every cow-girl at heart needs a belt like this!

I don't even need to explain why...

I could lounge in this beauty all the time...however, I think I would prefer it in a lime green with yellow accents.

The bigger the better.

Yum, yes please!

What do you get when you combine cotton knit tank and flowy skirt? This adorable little dress.

Don't you love the lines and the print on this little number?

This is actually the one item on this list that I actually need.

(but what' the fun of a wish list if you actually need the items?)

Devonly, yours

Garden Vegetable Pasta

2009-07-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was ravenous yesterday when I got home from work, so after rummaging through my pantry and fridge, I tossed together this wonderful little pasta salad in no time. And it was so delicious, I thought it would be a sin not to share it with you. I'm always coming up with quick, 1-pot pastas during the week nights and this one is definitely one of my favorites so far. Try it when you're in a pinch, you won't be disappointed!

You will need:

1 1/2 cups fusili (or your favorite type of pasta)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup trimmed green beans
1 cups torn fresh spinach, washed
About 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
Olive oil
A fresh squeeze of lemon, if desired
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Boil enough water for the pasta in a sauce pan. Add pasta and cook until almost done (about 2-3 minutes before pasta would be ready).

Step 2: While pasta is boiling, prepare other ingredients. Add green beans the last few minutes until tender-crisp. Drain pasta and beans and return to the pot.

Step 3: Add spinach, tomatoes, and goat cheese to pot. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss together and squeeze a splash of fresh lemon over, if desired.

Step 4: Devour immediately! Enjoy! Serves 2.

Devonly, yours

Dining Al Fresco

2009-07-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

There's nothing I love more than moving my dining room outside during the tepid summer months. And along with that: eating the bounty that summer brings. We enjoyed a marvelous meal with some friends outside (enjoying our new deck, of course!) and the produce couldn't have been more delectable. Don't you wish we had summer produce all year round as fresh as this? Oh, I do!

Heirloom tomato caprese salad with basil picked seconds before

The freshest of fresh summer fruit salad

And a toast to the wonderful evening (not to mention with a glass of some of the BEST wine I've had in a LONG time: a 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stagg's Leap District in Napa. YUM!)

Devonly, yours

Etsy!

2009-07-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Well friends, I finally have my own Etsy shop! It's still in the works, so please have patience, but please don't hesitate to check it out! I have a few items up for sale currently, and will be adding more very shortly.

Here's the address: Devonly.etsy.com

This will be the first time I've "sold" my work to the public like this, and I have to say: it's a lot more emotional than I thought. I know people like my work - they compliment it all the time even when they don't know I've made it. But putting myself out there for the world (or etsy) to see, criticize, deny or buy...why, I just hope it goes well. So, please pass the site along to anyone and everyone, I would most appreciate it!

And to go along with my new shop and (hopefully) my goods that will be flying out of here: I have new business cards!

Aren't they adorable? Would you like one? I will send you as many as you want! So, on that note I am off to flit about and get all that I need to get done today on my day off. Look for more items soon, as in hopefully by the end of the day. Until next time...

Devonly, yours

P.S. Did you notice how many "hopefully"s I had in today's post as much as I did? That is exactly how I feel right now: hope is keeping me going. Please hope with me, won't you?

Jewelery Pin Board

2009-07-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

I have finally gotten to the point where my little hanging tree is full to the limbs with my jewelery and my earrings are falling off the branches. So, I decided to make a quick, easy, affordable, and adorable way to store and display my jewelery: a pin board!

You will need:

1 purchased pin board with frame
Fabric of your choice
Double-sided tape
Krazy Glue
Pins for pinning
All-purpose craft paint in color of your choice

Step 1: Cut fabric a little larger than the size of your pin board. Using the double-sided tape, fold under edges and tape down.

Step 2: Repeat this on all sides of the fabric until it is exactly the size of your pin board.

Pin down the fabric in place on the opposite sides that have been completed to ensure exact measurement.

Step 3: Flip the fabric over to right side up and glue the edges down and press down to secure.

Step 4: Paint the edges (if desired) a coordinating color for the fabric.

Pin jewelery up and display! This is easily hung on a wall or displayed on a table/dresser top, depending on the size of pin board you choose. Hope you enjoy making this and having a new and stylish way of displaying your jewelery.

Devonly, yours

Monogram It

2009-07-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Jason and I each have our own little closets in our bedroom on each side of our dresser. In order to have a somewhat fond feeling towards my itsby-bitsy closet, I dressed them up with some monogrammed letters. I didn't spend a heap on these either: the large "D" and "J" I bought at Michael's for about $8 each and painted them with interior wall paint I already had on hand. The ampersand I got at Anthropologie, which was $14. This is a great and much less expensive way to give some personality to a bedroom, children's room, or really, any room - Even outside would be cute!

*Please excuse the messy dresser: my bookend project is coming up soon!

Devonly, yours

What I did this Weekend: Events

2009-07-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a typical Seattle weekend: Events and happenings all over the city. Plus a mixture of weather. Saturday was hot and steamy, then rolled in the thunder clouds with a cold and rainy Sunday. I'd like to say that I got a lot accomplished, but I must say Jason will take the cake on that one. He single handedly completed our beautful deck. Isn't it lovely?

Saturday, Seattle Tilth had a city chicken tour where urban-dwellers having chickens opened up their yards and coops for the rest to come and learn. Unfortunately, I was at work, so Jason ventured this one alone. He stayed only in West Seattle, but got some great ideas (and some to avoid). Have I mentioned we're planning a coop of our own?

Not exactly sure the idea or humor behind this church-inspired roost.

Then once the weather turned sour and I didn't have to be at work, the Georgetown Garden Tour took place on Saturday. We got some great ideas for our yard and enjoyed the unique neighborhood that is our neighbor.

But it rained...

And rained some more...

After all the tours, we headed over to the West Seattle Summer Festival and found some great local artisans and businesses. But, the rain got the best of us and we had to duck inside. And the best part was, it was all in our neck of the woods. All in all, I say we had a very productive and eventful weekend. How was your weekend?

Devonly, yours

Friday!

2009-07-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hello, dear friends! Friday is here at last. What a busy week I've had, have you? But it has been a great week: my dear Jason was home all week (hence not many posts this week!). Mostly because we've been working fastidiously at finishing our deck railings. What a task! But it looks so good! I will definitely show you once it's completed. In other fun news: I have completed my first commissioned piece! This lovely little watercolor was made with extra love for my mother-in-law's bedroom.

Devonly, yours

Found Art

2009-07-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for inexpensive and unique ways to decorate my house. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good expensive piece. But I won't exactly be displaying any Picasso around here. Here are some items that I found either in my yard, my neighbors "junk" pile, and the craft store that are displayed in my bedroom. I love the feeling of my room: it's like a dreamy tree house to me...perfect for lulling me to sleep and awaking me with a smile.

This window had been sitting in my neighbor's garage for a long while and was collecting quite the cobweb collection. After a little TLC, it is the perfect piece of found art next to my bed.

Above, branches from the pruning of my lilac make a great addition to my room. Just make sure the branches can lay flat enough against the wall that they won't be poking any eyes out.

I had these little hanging glass vases that at one time had terrariums in them, but due to my unique knack for killing every house plant that dare cross my threshold, it now has something unliving: buttons! But they add such a nice touch of vibrancy and playfulness to my otherwise dull corner. I strung buttons on fishing wire and hung them from the ceiling and filled the vases with the remaining buttons.

Devonly, yours

Celebrating my Independence

2009-07-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

This 4th of July, I felt free to be free:

Into the Sunset

At attention

Afternoon Nap

And I even got to drive!

Hope you had a lovely 4th of July celebrating your independence.

Devonly, yours

Happy Friday

2009-07-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and great Independence Day! See you on Monday!

Devonly, yours

Succulent Shoes

2009-07-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

One of my dear friends found these adorable shoes at a Goodwill and wanted to hang them on her wall. Next thing I knew, I was planting succulents in them. I didn't line them with plastic due to the fact that succulents require very little water. But plants that are grown for indoors if you want to hang them inside, and ones that are grown for outdoors if they will be outside.

Devonly, yours

Red Onion-Rosemay Marmalade

2009-06-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

I found myself with 2 huge red onions needing to be eaten or cooked, so I decided to make a marmalade, or compote, with them. This is so easy and great on sandwiches, alongside cheese and crackers, or a topping for grilled chicken and pork. I enjoyed it in a sandwich with goat cheese and arugula on some toasted bread.

You will need:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 large red onions
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sherry
2 TB. apple cider vinegar
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Step 1: Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Thinly slice red onions and add to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are tender, about 15 minutes.

Step 2: Add the brown sugar, sherry, vinegar, and rosemary. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for another 20 minutes.

Step 3: Add the dried cranberries and cook an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool completely and refrigerate.

Devonly, yours

Farmer's Market

2009-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Summer time is the perfect time for fresh and local produce when it's at its peak and in abundance. And your local farmer's market is the perfect place to find it. I ventured up to the West Seattle farmer's market this weekend and picked up some lovely items to make dinner with. This is one of my favorite things to do in the summer: grab a random assortment of delicious goodies and make whatever comes to you and even make it up as you go. No rules, no plans. You might be surprised at what you come up with - some of my favorite dishes are usually ones I make up using what I have in the fridge or pantry at the moment. And how can you go wrong with such fresh produce?

For my farmer's market dinner, I made a tomato salad with fresh heirloom tomatoes, feta cheese, capers, arugula, and a splash of balsalmic vinegar and olive oil. Season it with salt and pepper and it tastes as fresh as summer can be.

I also picked up some fresh spinach pasta. When pasta is this fresh, I don't like to cover up its natural flavor with much. Just saute some garlic in a little bit of melted butter, add a splash of white wine, salt, and pepper. It's so good and so fresh.

Devonly, yours

Happy Friday

2009-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, friends, Friday is here! Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Devonly, yours

Get Lost (in a good way)

2009-06-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about Seattle is all the little neighborhoods and hidden streets. I love going to a new section of town, parking my car and getting lost in the streets. It allows me to see a side of the city that I never knew. I pop in my headphones, grab my camera, and see what I can find. Today I wandered around the more residential side of Greenlake and I found (besides my house envy) some great little scenes.

Azaleas at their last few days

A bustling cafe window

The cutest thing I saw: a tuckered out pooch dozing in a beautiful backyard

Succulents are the plants that will survive the end of the world

The next time you're bored on a sunny weekend, take your camera and get lost. You might be surprised what you find.

Devonly, yours

Lunching Ladies

2009-06-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

My dear friend, CRM joined me for lunch today and to help me wade through the blogging world's features, tricks, and tips (hope you like the result-in-process!). I love lunching because it's usually a fresh delicious meal that has the rest of the day to digest. And it gives me an excuse to make some yummy recipes I've been dying to try.

For our menu today, I made:

THESE! So good...
Frissee salad
Coconut macaroons

The frissee salad is super simple: toss a head of frissee with the juice from half a small lemon, a splash of olive oil, a drizzle of white truffle oil, and some salt and pepper. Yum! Try it tonight!

Devonly, yours

Vodak Infusions

2009-06-23T08:20:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite gifts to give is something that has a little of my personality in it but is also something the recipient will really enjoy. This past holiday season I infused vodkas for my friends, and I think I'm the only one that has any left! I made one large batch of Oolong tea infused vodka. They all prefer it straight up or over the rocks, but I like to shake mine up with a little simple syrup and lemon. Today I'm making a few different varieties in smaller batches using what's fresh and in season right now. They're perfect to give out as hostess gifts or to have on hand for the spur-of-the-moment BBQs and guests. And you don't have to spend a lot on fancy, expensive, sugar-laden mixers.

Infusions Du Jour:

Pink Grapefruit
White Peach
Rosemary
Cucumber
Pepper

The grapefruit, peach, and cucumber can all be enjoyed solo or shaken with a little simple syrup. The rosemary is sophisticated and complex so should be paired with care. The pepper infusion (I'm using jalapeno and serrano today) is a great base for a Bloody Mary.

It's very simple to do: slice up your favorite fruit or vegetable, leave herbs sprigs whole, and for tea: bagged or loose will work. Simply place your flavor of choice in a jar and cover with vodka. Cover and refrigerate until desired potency is reached. For stronger flavors like the pepper, rosemary, and tea, a few days should be plenty. For the peach and grapefruit, you want to let them stand for about a week. Depending on your vodka:ingredient ratio, you will want to stir the batch every few days. Once the batch is ready strain out your ingredients using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth in the case of any loose tea or particles, jar, label, and refrigerate until ready to use!

Hope you get to experiment with your own flavors and enjoy some delicious combinations this summer and wow your friends (even though it's really easy...but I'm not telling anyone that!).

Devonly, yours

Busy as a Little Bee

2009-06-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

Hello again friends! I have been so busy working my little toes to the bone at the salon, I haven't had a moment to attend to anything more than sleeping and eating (hey, a girl's gotta have some priorities!) But, alas, I am back! And I have some really exciting things planned for this week! If all goes as planned, of course - which around my house usually doesn't mean much of anything. Last night I finally had some time to attend to my much needy family.

Harley was beside himself that I was actually home playing with him. Poor guy!

I've been so busy I haven't had time to stop and enjoy my lilies that are blooming right now. The colors are magnificent. I love lilies because they're so low maintenance and their yields are gorgeous. Just plant them as bulbs in a sunny spot, water them well the first year, try not to let the dogs (or the hose for that matter) run over them, and wa-la! Wonderful pops of color. I just planted some chartreuse mum seeds around these, can't wait for them to come up! The package said they will germinate in 7-10 days. Amazing!

But I have had some time to do a little something: make jewelery! I was inspired by a recent trip to my most favorite store ever and by the lack of bills in my wallet to make my own jewelery for a fraction of the cost.

These gorgeous tear-drop stone earrings were a cinch! All I needed were the stones (about 75 cents each), some needle nosed pliers, the posts (which I wrapped around the top of the stone), and the earing clasps. So simple, and they're already one of my favorite pairs!

These beauties consisted of: earring clasps, the beads, a little wire, and a round clasp for attaching everything together. With a little help from my pliers, they were complete in seconds flat. I'm going to be making multiple pairs in a wine color for a co-worker's bridal party. I can't wait to see how they turn out.

This necklace was inspired by one I saw at my most favorite store ever. It was a little more time consuming, but well worth it. And since my dress code at work is all black, I have to spice it up with as much color as I possibly can and this necklace sure stands out.

I have a few more ideas that I'm still working on, but those might have to wait a little while. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and Father's Day, and are having a little sunnier Monday than here in Seattle.

Devonly, yours.

Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Ice Cream

2009-06-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

The only thing I like better than fresh cherries in summer is fresh Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Ice Cream. I can't help but steal licks of this delicious concoction while it spins away in my ice cream maker. It's grown up flavor will not keep you from feeling like a kid again.

You will need:

3 1/2 cups 2% reduced fat milk
1 cup half-and-half
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (14-oz) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
3 1/2 TB bourbon
16 oz. cherries, pitted and halved
1 3.5 oz dark chocolate bar, chopped

Step 1: combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and whisk well to combine. Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the directions.

Step 2: Once ice cream is almost finished freezing in your maker, add the bourbon, cherries, and chocolate. Stir to combine and freeze in your freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.

Oh, heavens, my! This is so yummy and it's the perfect end to a perfect summer day. Hope you get to enjoy some soon!

Devonly, yours

Fennel Sausage Ravioli

2009-06-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

I came up with these delicious delicacies one night when, having cooked an entire 2 acorn squash for dinner for Jason and I, we had a ton left over. I wondered out loud what I should do with them, and Jason said, "make them into pasta!" Thus, this recipe was born. This is a great recipe to make a large batch of and freeze for a quick weeknight meal, or to keep on hand for unexpected company. It's tasty, easy, and decidedly gourmet.

You will need:

1 acorn squash
1/2 fennel bulb
1/2 pound ground sausage
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded aged white cheddar, or your favorite Italian cheese
1 tsp. salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Fresh won ton wrappers*
1-2 TB. melted butter
Powdered sugar, optional

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Half acorn squash, scoop out seeds, and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minuets, flip squash over and bake another 30 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool until you can safely handle the squash. Scoop all flesh into a bowl, and set aside.

Step 2: Finely chop the bulb section of the fennel bulb along with 2 or 3 "leafy" sections. Add this plus the ground sausage to a skillet over med-high heat and cook until sausage is no longer pink and fennel is soft, about 7 minutes. Add this mixture to the squash and allow to cool completely.

Step 3: Once mixture is cool, add the vinegar, egg, salt, pepper, and cheese. Mix thoroughly.

Step 4: To assemble the ravioli, take one won ton wrapper and place a small dollop of the sausage mixture in the center. Brush 2 sides of the wrapper with water, and fold over the other 2 sides to make a triangle. Press along the entire seam to close. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining wrappers.

Step 5: To freeze for later use, place the entire baking sheet in the freezer until the ravioli are frozen completely. Transfer to a freezer bag until later needed. To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a few ravioli at a time and boil until all the ravioli are floating. Remove and place a serving platter tented with foil until all ravioli have been cooked.

Step 6: To serve, drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Makes approximately 36 ravioli.

Yum! These are so tasty and easy to make. Now, if only I had someone to share them with! I guess I will be freezing mine for later enjoyment.

Devonly, yours

*If you would like to make your own pasta dough, this is an easy recipe to follow. You can make them bigger if you like with your own dough.

Have a stake out

2009-06-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

My poor plants were all looking so sad a droopy, so I gave them a little lift! Staking your plants allows them to continue to grow up, up, and away! as they get a little top heavy. My plants that needed uplifting were my peonies (a typical plant that needs support), tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and some flowers. Here are some different ways you can stake your plants for proper support as they grow:

{A pre-made trellis that you can buy at a hardware store is ideal for climbing vines}

{When tomatoes are young, tie them to a post to encourage their upward mobility}

{As tomatoes get larger, cages can help to support them all around}

{Even just some string will do the trick!}

{A stake with a loop or "cage" is great for tall, top-heavy plants. Garden centers also sell peony- specific supports, I think this works fine for now, especially since my peony is still young and hasn't grown to it's full potential}

Give your plants a hand and something to lean on for a happier, healthier garden.

Devonly, yours

Nooks and Crannies

2009-06-12T09:48:00.000-07:00

There are many little spaces in our houses that leave little to the imagination. In mine, there just happen to be a lot! There are easy ways to dress up a bedside table, a corner of a bookshelf, or an odd-shaped nook in a wall. Experiment with mixing and matching different items of different sizes (try to stick with one large item per space, a maximum of two if the space is rather large). Here is a list of items to consider grouping together to make a corner of your home look like a magazine spread:

Books (pair in odd numbers for a more aesthetically pleasing appeal)
Potted plants (make sure they aren't going to leak on other items)
Cut flowers in smaller vases or in my case, an empty wine bottle
Figurines or small statues
A bowl full of found objects: rocks, shells, or vintage keys
Bookends or paperweights perhaps not doing their intended duty

Devonly, yours

One man's treasure

2009-06-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

I had the most marvelous weekend this past week staying with our dear friends in Brooklyn. We had brunch at the best little place you'd ever stumble upon (which is exactly what we did last November) complete with mimosas and Bloody Mary's, Eggs Benedict and delicious company. From there, we found the best Flea Market I've ever seen in Forte Green. If only I had a place to take all the treasures I wish I could have bought! I am now in hot pursuit of some of Seattle's better Flea Markets to visit. I will keep you posted on the ones I find. The key to these is that you have to be willing to hunt, and to barter. Below are some snaps I took while wondering around in the warn sun:

Nothing like a cool ice cream after a hot day of bargaining. This weekend, look for some new treasures in some old places.

Weekend wishes

2009-06-05T07:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Can you believe the weather we're having?!? I'm off to New York with my love - I'm tagging along on a business trip and we're visiting our dear friends too. Hope you get to enjoy the weekend. Bon Voyage!

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Devonly, Yours

Sip it gingerly, my dear

2009-06-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

It seems I am at constant struggle with my insides. Metaphorically, yes. But today I'm talking literally. I often have an upset stomach due to who-knows-what. So this morning, I brewed some homemade ginger tea. My tummy feels so much better and this tea is actually quite good! It's even a little spicy, so be careful on your first sip! If you would like this concoction iced, just make ahead of time, refrigerate, and serve over ice. I'm also going to experiment with making it fizzy, but that will have to come at a later post.

You will need:

1 sauce pan
water
ginger
honey (if desired)
lemon (if desired)

Bring about 2-4 cups of water to a boil in your saucepan, depending on how much tea you want to make.
Cut off a 2 inch piece of ginger, peel, and slice.
Add the ginger to the boiling water, cover, and reduce to a simmer about 15-20 minutes.
Strain and serve with honey and lemon, if desired.
Enjoy!

Devonly, Yours

Bring it inside

2009-06-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like fresh flowers in my home that make me stop, smile, and sigh deeply. And I'm all about peonies right now. They have such dimension and a few go a long way: their blooms are magnificent and their aroma sweet. Pick up a few today and place them somewhere you might not normally have flowers: your bedside table, an often over-looked coffee table, or on your bathroom counter.

*****

Devonly, yours

Strawberry Yogurt Pie in the Sky

2009-06-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

You know those "ah-ha!" moments that come only, oh, I don't know, once in a blue moon? Well, this was definitely one of mine. I know you will love this pie, and because it's so easy to make and dare I say? Not that unhealthy, it's quickly becoming a staple in my household. I came up with the idea for this recipe when I was scavenging through my kitchen for a fast breakfast. All I had on hand were strawberries, yogurt, and left-over graham cracker crust. I would take a strawberry, dip it in the yogurt and then in the crust. Oh, my! It was so good I wasted no time in making this delicious pie!
{Don't tell anyone, but I eat for breakfast too!}

You will need:
1 3/4 lbs. fresh strawberries, hulled
20 graham cracker squares
3 TB. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted
11oz. plain greek yogurt
1 TB. honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush the graham crackers until they are very fine (a blender or rolling pin and Ziploc bag work just fine)
Combine said crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour the melted butter over and stir to combine. Press into a 9" pie dish and bake 10 minutes or until golden. Let cool completely.

Once cool, spread the yogurt over the entire crust.
Wash strawberries* and fill pie dish.
If the honey you are using isn't in a pourable condition, melt it in the microwave. A word of caution: honey melts fast and can bubble over your container if you aren't careful, making a sticky mess!

There's nothing like fresh strawberries in the summertime, and in this pie, they don't get much better. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

Devonly, Yours

*A note about washing berries: You want to wash berries right before you are about to use/eat them. Strawberries are a little more forgiving than it's more delicate relatives, but they will be the freshest and most tender if you wash them right before using. To keep them fresh store them in a breathable plastic container with a paper towel folded inside.

Night Light

2009-06-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

Now that the mercury has finally risen, I try to find every reason to be outside as long as I can, even in the the night hours. However, since fireflies don't grace my West Seattle home very often (make that never), I have come up with some cute and inexpensive ways to light my deck. To complete the area, group different size vases filled with river rocks and place tea lights on top. You can also fill extra mason jars with sand and a tea light to line pathways or stairs.

A word of caution: Make sure the branches on which you plan to hang your lanterns are strong enough to support the weight of the jar and the sand. Also, you will need to make the handle long enough to keep the fire clear of the branches and any greenery.

Mason jar lanterns are easy to make at home and make your patio feel like an enchanted forest. You will need:

Glass jars: I used small, short mason jars I had on hand
Wire: proportionate to jar size
Pliers
Sand: you can also use small rocks.
I even have some left over road salt from last winter's storm that would work well.
Tea lights or candles sized accordingly to your jar size

{Start by measuring the wire. You will need enough for at least 1 1/2 times around the mouth of the jar plus enough to use for hanging. Wrap the wire around the mouth once and twist to close}

{Pull the wire back to the opposite side of the jar and loop to secure in place}

{Loop the remaining wire back to the opposite side and twist to secure}

{Fill with sand and place candle firmly down into the sand}
{Hang and enjoy}

*****

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*****

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Hope you enjoy your evenings a little longer.

Devonly, Yours.