Creative Release

As some of you know, I enjoy scrapbooking and making cards in my free time, which is a high-priced commodity in my life! I decided to take a break from school this semester, leaving space to reconnect with my crafty creative side. After doing a little blizzard-cleaning (like spring cleaning, only a little early and during a blizzard!) my craft space was ready for destruction! I spent 4 hours creating tonight and here’s what came out..

Lots of lovin’, as you can see! I can’t wait to get back to my space for more therapy… oh, and to clean up!

Which one is your favorite?

Imagination is…

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.”
– George Bernard Shaw

Where do you do your best imagining?

Me? I find arts and crafts time for imagination and creation. I can play with a number of different tools not sure of my direction and eventually end up with something pretty creative.

Some may say my imagination in the kitchen is good, too. I am the type of person who can start with one thing – meat, vegetable, seasoning, desired taste, and end up creating a great meal without a recipe.

Happiness is …

“Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”
– Nathaniel Hawthorne

BLT Dip

Here’s a recipe I haven’t made in sometime, but it’s always a Superbowl Party hit!

BLT DIP

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup torn lettuce
8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp Old Bay *optional

Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, Old Bay in small bowl. Spread onto serving plate. Top with lettuce, cooked bacon, plum tomatoes, green onions, and cheddar cheese. Chill until serving. Serve with bagel chips,
tortilla chips, breadsticks, or crackers for dipping.

*I throw in the Old Bay for an extra little kick! Add as much as you like.

Favorite childhood toy …

I was in communications training this past week where we discussed concepts in Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. To start off the training day, we were asked what our favorite childhood toy was, why it was our favorite, and how we are like the toy. We had only a few minutes to think about this, but I didn’t need long..

“Fishing Pole”

Quickly I thought of my childhood memories with my grandfather out on the Chesapeake Bay, fishing until the sun set and motoring back to the boat ramp. He taught me how to hold a fishing pole, how to thread one, when to reel in, how to read the water, and so much more. Not only did we have a good time on the water with the wind in our face, telling stories, and soaking up the sun, I learned some of life’s greatest lessons, only I didn’t realize it until later in life.

When I began to think about how I am like a fishing pole, I thought about the mechanics of a fishing pole.

• The line is taught or tense, but has to allow for slack from time to time
• It’s not always about the catch but the adventure along the way
• It has many different specialties
• It can handle bending under stress
• Sometimes it has to be reeled in
• Can be used alone or in the company of others
• The end game can be used to help (feed) many

To this day, fishing is one of my favorite hobbies. As a kid I either went out with my grandfather fishing, or my brother and I would walk down to the pier, throw a line over, and try until we caught something. I was always so proud of whatever we caught – even if it was only a 2″ white perch. And my mother always took a picture and fried it up to help me feel like I made a contribution to the family. Sometimes we would use a seine net or cast net.. and silversides, perch, grass shrimp.. you name it, we always enjoyed celebrating our “catch”.

So that gets me thinking … what is your favorite childhood toy, why, and how are you like the toy?

I can’t wait to hear your stories!

Viva Las Vegas!

We arrived in Las Vegas around 3:30 MST yesterday. The flight out was uneventful except for the crying baby the whole way from Charlotte to Vegas! The girl sitting next to me is a costume designer and her husband is a lighting designer for the new Cirque du Soleil show at Aria, Viva Elvis. He uses VectorWorks Spotlight, and as some of you know I worked for VW for years. So the two of us chatted about light plots, stage lighting, and her dreams of costume design.

Me & Doug taking off!

Doug, who hasn’t flown in a good 15 years took tons of photos from the air as we flew over the delta,

View from 30.000'

midwest, and Colorado Rockies. I’ll post the pics over on Flikr at some point. He was like a kid in a candy store, excited about every land plot, every mountain, the snow, rivers, and valleys.

View from Wynn

After landing, we headed to our hotel, Wynn. (Did you know Steve Wynn is from Wayson’s Corner down near where I grew up?!) Top notch service at the registration desk, and everywhere else you go. It’s an amazing hotel. Our room is HUGE! It’s about 300 sq ft! The view overlooks Wynn’s famous waterfall, Trump Tower, Treasure Island, The Mirage, and Palazzo. Oh, and the mountains!

Pella Peeps in Vegas!

Last night we caught up with the rest of our Pella Peeps in the Sports Bar, betting on the Ravens/Colts game and talking about our Vegas experiences so far. I was so tired I couldn’t muster the energy to go to dinner with the gang. They ate at RED 8 (ceiling photos), which is an Asian restaurant with noodles, dim sum, and more. I’ve added that to the list of placed to eat! We walked down the Esplanade to find the NYC-style pizza joint called Pizza Place. After walking by Oscar de la Renta, Cartier, and more stores I can’t afford to even stop and look inside, my feet really bothered me so I went back to the room while Doug found the pizza place and brought it back to our room. It’s kind of like room service… kind of. So we ate the pizza in the bed like teenagers and crashed around 8pm local time. We were SO tired from the early Saturday morning departure and such!

I forgot how loud it is in Vegas at night. New York City has nothing on this city that never sleeps. The Treasure Island Pirate show left us entertained for a bit, but eventually interfered with sleep. Oh well, we have a long flight home later this week to catch up on sleep, right? Maybe I’ll get used to it by Wednesday night..

This morning we headed to the Wynn’s Terrace Pointe Cafe for breakfast and enjoyed more of Las Vegas epicurean luxuries. Doug had the southwest hash and eggs and I enjoyed a crepe with berries, mascarpone, and berry butter. Delicious! I didn’t think about taking photos .. I devoured it faster than my brain was working.

This afternoon we are taking what I hope to be an unbelievable tour of the Grand Canyon. After the limo picks us up this afternoon, we are going to fly over Hoover Dam, Ring of Fire, Grand Canyon and more in a helicopter thanks to Heli USA. The heli lands in the base of the canyon for a champagne picnic lunch, then we fly back to Las Vegas as sunset to enjoy the canyon at day and dusk. Then we fly over Las Vegas Strip with it all lit up in is magnificence before landing at the airport again. Then we get chouffered back to our hotel via the limo.

Not sure where we are eating tonight.. or whether or not we’ll see a show. I’ve got Le Reve, Blue Man Group, and O on my list of shows I want to see. Oh, and of course Bellagio’s fountains, Treasure Island’s Sirens of TI show, The Venetian’s gondola, New York New York roller coaster ride, and Paris’ Eiffel Tower tour. Whew. That’s a lot of ground to cover in the next 3 1/2 days, given I’ve got a day or so of work to squeeze in there. That’s why I’m here afterall..

Stay tuned for more on our once-in-a-lifetime vacation in Fabulous Las Vegas!

-Katie

Forget to be Afraid

Lady Bird Johnson was actually a good friend of my grandmothers (mothers side). She has been an inspirational role model to many, including me. Her accomplishments, stories, and quotes remind me of my purpose here on earth.

This is one of my favorite quotes:

“Become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.”
– Lady Bird Johnson

Steamin’ Hot

I recently bought a food steamer. I have no idea how I’ve made it this long without one! After much research and deliberation, I ended up buying the West Bend 86604. It has 3 tiers to cook rice, veggies, and a protein all at the same time. The great part about this is that the flavors can intermingle making for a totally flavorful meal.

While I don’t have kids, I highly recommend a programmable steamer for families with kids. Dinner time can be set ahead of time while working with kids on homework, getting ready for bed, or other evening stuff. Food steamers let you turn it on, forget about it, and come back to a complete dinner within a few minutes.

TIP: Put all of your ingredients in a plastic zipper bag ahead of time and leave in fridge. When you get ready to cook, drop contents of zipper bag into steamer layers.

When looking for a food steamer, look for the followings things:
Water well
Some of the models have limited access to the water wells. The disadvantage to this is that if the water (and the food/flavorings that leaks into the water well) is not easy to completely access, mold has a tendency to grow, which isn’t good for your food or you.
Timing
Most new models have a programmable feature where you can choose to delay the start, how long you want the food to steam, or even keep-warm settings once the food has cooked. I didn’t think I needed a timer that I could set an hour ahead and the food would automatically cook, but now that I have it, I wouldn’t go without it. I can imagine this would be especially useful for families with kids where time tends to get in the way and before you know it, time for cooking is limited.
Sturdiness
Not all steamers are made the same. Most are plastic, some have metal spacers. While the metal spacers are best, the models with metal spacers don’t have many of the other features I was looking for. Some of the lesser priced models have flimsy plastic separators which will limit the amount of food you can place on each layer. Also look for a model that is dishwasher safe. Sometimes the food particles will get stuck in the spacer holes and it’s just easy to drop into the dishwasher and be done with it.
Also make sure the base is sturdy. I tested a few models with weak bases, but went three tiers – no strength in this.

My first meals using the steamer were seafood related (fish, shrimp, clams, mussels, lobster). I’ve since expanded to include poultry and even desserts!

Here’s one of my favorite flexible fish recipes in the steamer:

Steamed Fish

Steamed Fish

Any white fish – cod, halibut, flounder, rockfish, etc.

Any herb, chopped or dried – basil, parsley, cilantro, oregano, thyme, sage, etc

A few pats of butter

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt & Pepper

Steam for 8-10 minutes, depending on the amount of fish.
Fish should flake easily when cooked.

Serve hot with your favorite steamed vegetable or rice.

TIP: I add a vegetable seasoning (like Mrs. Dash) to steamed vegetables and rice for a little extra flavoring. Add the same herb to the rice for a stronger flavored rice.

TIP: Add a dash of red pepper flakes to fish for a little extra kick!

TIP: Add a few shredded carrots, zucchini, celery, or cucumbers for a fancy decoration on top. A great way to wow your diners!

Zucchini Bread

I LOVE zucchini bread! It’s sweet and savory nature, coupled with a soft bread is one of many comfort foods. As a child, I remember my mother making this all of the time and taking it to work as gifts for her fellow teachers. Often times, it was hard for me to keep my sticky fingers out of the batter because of it’s ooey gooey goodness!

To start of 2010, I made zucchini bread Dec 31, 2009 to enjoy and celebrate into the new year.

Zucchini Bread Recipe:

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 beaten egg (let rest for 30 minutes)
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely shredded zucchini
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup freshly juiced apply juice (optional, only use juiced apple, not store-bought apple juice)
1 sliced apple, in halves

Grease bottom of bread pan

Combine dry ingredients in bowl, set asside
Combine wet ingredients, add zucchini
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened
Transfer mixture to bread pan
Lay sliced apples on top for decoration

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes (or until toothpick test is clean)

Cool for 10 mins in pan, remove from pan and cool for additional 60 minutes.

So good!

Enjoy hot out of the oven, as dessert, or for breakfast.

Make extra – it goes fast!!

TIP: Drop into toaster for a few seconds until slightly toasty and add a pat of butter for savory goodness.

What’s Up Doc? … Carrot Cake!

Carrot cake may very well be a legend in my family. That, right alongside the family red cake recipe.

Some tips to making your carrot cake stand out in a crowd are to add a 1/8 – 1/4 cup apple juice or juice of 1 medium lemon, nutmeg, or ground cloves, or any combination of these.

Carrot Cake Recipe

Carrot Cake Ingredients

4 beaten eggs (rested at room temperature for 30 minutes)
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 cups finely shredded carrots
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Grease and flour 2 cake pans (I use 8″ pans)

Carrot Cake Mixture

Mix dry ingredients in bowl and set aside.
Add carrots and oil to eggs, mix lightly.
Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Pour into cake pans.

Bake 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick test is clean.

Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool for additional 60 minutes.

Carrot Cake Cooling

I love the cake without icing, but it sure is good with sugary sweet cream icing!

Sweet Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

Sweet Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients

1 8-oz package of cream cheese (can use low fat, fat free cream cheese)
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp almond extract (can substitute vanilla or orange extract)
6 cups sifted powdered sugar*

Beat cream cheese, butter and orange extract until light and fluffy.

Sweet Cream Cheese Icing

Gradually add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, beating well.
Slowly add additional sugar while beating mixture.
Add to top, sides, and middle layer of cake.

TIP: For a little extra nutty flavor to compliment the carrots, add a dash of nutmeg or ground cloves to icing. It also gives the icing a rustic look.

TIP: For bakery-like look, top with shredded carrots, sugared orange slices, chopped crystalized ginger, or chopped pecans.

*To sift sugar, use a sifter (I use my mom’s from 1980-something – she got it from a tupperware party) by placing sifter over bowl and adding powdered sugar while sifting.
If you don’t have a sifter, use a fine strainer. Add sugar to strainer and shake powdered sugar. Repeat 2 times.

Carrot Cake with Sweet Cream Cheese Icing

This can can easily be consumed in one sitting by a sugar-challenged individual, but it’s so much better shared with friends and family just for the heck of it!