Gnome in the House!

I had a dream that there was a gnome in the house! He was running around the living room, giggling. I didn't know what it meant, until now, he just wanted to come in! So I had to make him a home and I knew exactly what would make him happy. I walked into a west elm store the other day and did I leave inspired! I always do though, it's such a cool place! And among all the coolness, they had air plants. "Tillandsia" was just hanging out and I had to know more about her. One of the nice and knowledgeable people that work there, explained to me that they don't have root systems and are actually parasites! They need a little mist, here and there. Sounds good to me, a plant that can take care of itself! lol. There was also a great book about these awesome little terrarium worlds by twigterrariums, great book to have on your coffee table. You can check out them out at http://www.twigterrariums.com/ for some great inspiration! West elm also has a great how to guide for terrariums along with cool glass terraium containers that you can check out at http://www.westelm.com/. I thought it would be fun to combine the the two worlds, the mossiness of the terrarium and the air plant just hanging out. The curls of the leaves rest on the edge of the glass securely. To happy terrarium making! :)

 This is what you need to get this gnome house:

• 1 clear glass cylinder, 6x6
• 2 pounds of decorative sand, I used terra cotta color
• about an inch of terrarium potting mix or sterilized potting mix
• moss top layer
• 1 Tillandsia air plant
• 1 happy gnome
• 1 mushroom

Start layering your cylinder with the sand or you can use decorative rocks or both. Followed by the potting mix on top of the sand or rocks. Lastly by the moss on top of the potting mix. I just went into the yard and scooped up some moss from the lawn but they do sell little mossy pots at garden nurseries, meant to creep between stone paths. Drape your air plant over the side of the cylinder, the bottom doesn't have to touch the moss, it can just hang out and invite your little gnome in! ;)




He's napping already! :) Tillandsia needs bright light but not direct sunlight. Mist to water twice weekly. Protect from frost.

   

Flowering Artichoke

Nature makes me happy and I try to bring it indoors as much as I can. I love having flowers in our bedroom but keeping up with a fresh bouquet can get a little pricey. I've tried potted plants and they just don't get enough sunshine. So I found a great solution, filler greens! For the amazing price of $5. And they last such a long time, as long as you change the water daily. It's not so much a traditional bouquet of flowers but the greenery is refreshing. The bright green of the leaves and the twisting of the curly willow enlivens our space of rest and relaxation. I usually just have them by themselves but I stopped by the florist and I was in the mood for something exciting and trilling. And she brought out these beauties, flowering artichoke. I thought they were so gorgeous and a huge plus, they last a long time! Grab a vase, fill it with water and let the leaves loose, as they relax in the vase, while you do the same in your bed. To happy bedrooms! :)





Grilled Chicken & Carrots with Sweet Parsley Sauce

In the winter, when there is a chill in the air that I can't quite shake, I make a roasted chicken. The oven heats up the house, making it warm and toasty and a good meal always soothes the soul. But putting the oven on didn't seem like a good idea, as the sun was hot, the birds were singing and the grass was greener than ever but I was still in the mood for a nice chicken. Cooking the chicken on the stove and later grilling it is a great substitute for roasted chicken in the summertime, it comes out nice and juicy. Over the weekend, we went to a farmers' market and we found the most beautiful bunch of parsley and carrots. I knew right away that I wanted to make a parsley sauce and grill the carrots along with the chicken. Nice enough for company or great for leftovers!

• 1 4-5 pound chicken, cut into quarters
• 1 bunch of carrots, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• olive oil for drizzling
• Vegeta or any all-purpose seasoning you like
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 6 Kalamata olives, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive juice from the jar
• 1/2 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 peppadew, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon fig marmalade
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• fresh ground pepper

Cut up your chicken into quarters and place into a Dutch oven and cover with water. Salt it and bring it to a boil. Cook your chicken for 1 hour on low heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the top of the pot. Combine all of the ingredients for the parsley sauce and let it sit so the flavors mingle while the chicken is cooking. Once your chicken is done, carefully remove it from the broth. You can add some veggies and make a nice broth that you can enjoy or freeze for later use. Heat your grill to 500 degrees and drizzle olive oil on your chicken and carrots and season with Vegeta or all-purpose seasoning. Place your chicken on the grill, so you get some nice grill marks, it doesn't take long at all, about 5 minutes per side. Same with the carrots. Once your chicken and carrots are done, take them off the grill and serve with the parsley sauce. Enjoy!

Knock Knock

Old doors and fun doorknockers put a smile on my face. The chipping paint, giving the door a two-tone color. No matter what paint technique you give it, it can't compete with the years that pass by, perfecting it. We have one by default, as the house hasn't been painted in years and it needs it. And we finally started. It's a slow process, as part of me loved the chipping paint. But as the fresh coat sets in and I'm getting used to it, the old door, that I love, needs a new coat too. Part of me is excited and I'm deciding between a few fun colors. Life is short, sometimes you need to live out loud, and the door is going to be part of it. In time, it will age itself and the paint will chip away, as hopefully, wonderful memories are made inside.



This door knocker is available in a rust color at http://www.hardwaretree.com/, along with other cool door knockers and other fun stuff



String Beans & Pennoni

There was about a month that my mom went through a string bean phase. She made them every possible way that she could with tomatoes. Sometimes she put extra onions and garlic, other times lots of dill or parsley. She left them whole, other times she trimmed them short. Sometimes fresh tomatoes were used instead of jarred marinara sauce. I would barely finished the first batch and there was already a call that the next batch was ready. And she always said they were better than the last. lol. I ate alot of string beans, lol. And would remix the recipe sometimes, including a not so tasty string bean salad but mixing it with pasta was the best. And I found myself craving it the other day, and I think once you try it, you may too!

• 1 pound string beans, trimmed to the size of the pennoni, cut at an angle
• 1/2 pound pennoni, if you can't find pennoni, ziti is a great substitute
• 1/2 a small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, smashed and minced
• 1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups good jarred marinara sauce
• 1 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese *optional
• chopped fresh dill, parsley or basil to garnish, whatever you are in the mood for. *optional

Bring enough water to a boil for the pasta and string beans. This is great to make if you are busy and want a quick home cooked meal. Once your water comes to a boil, add your pasta, string beans, a little olive oil and salt. What's great is they cook at the same time. In a separate pan, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil on low heat. Once they are transparent, add the mariana sauce and bring to a boil and simmer for ten minutes. Once your pasta is al dente, drain and toss with your marinara sauce. Divide among your plates. This makes about 4 generous servings. Top with about 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese and some fresh chopped herb. I used parsley because I found a beautiful bunch at the farmers' market that I couldn't resist. ;) Enjoy!