50% off the little green bird and lattice prints! Score! And cupcakes!? How cute!

I'm slowly collecting fat quarters of the 1930's reproductions and other tiny prints that match. I found a quilt pattern over the weekend at Cabbage Rose that I think will be cool with these little pretties: 'Just a Piece of Cake'.

My Nicey Jane quilt top is finished! I have to say, I really enjoyed making this. I have a better idea of what to look for on my next quilt to make sure my seams match up more than these did. I think I'm only a quarter inch off on a couple rows. Whoops. :)

We had three weeks to plan this wedding and we had the best time doing so. The dress shopping was absolutely hilarious and our Saturdays filled with decoration creations was oh so fun. We offered up our back yard for the ceremony and reception and, minus the heat, I think it was perfect. We had so many ideas but no one really had a clue as to how well it would actually come together. We all worked hard, had a wonderful time, and had another chance to wake up our creative sides.

Burnt orange was what she wanted. We were able to pull together the different yellows and oranges that we could find in store in August. I didn't think it would have been that difficult as they're summer colors and it's summer. But no, Halloween and Christmas have already replaced summer in-store. I don't get it, though! There has to be a store in town that sells every color of tissue paper (and wrapping paper) that you could think of! We need one. We really do. I would be in heaven. Yes, we could have bought all our tissue paper online...

Pom poms: Sandra's best and most regretful idea, I think. :D They're cheap, they add a lot of fun and color, but they can be a pain when you're making 60+ mini poms for napkin rings and 45+ large and medium poms for hanging in the trees. No regrets though. They made such a difference! Accordion fold, tie in the center, clip the corners, and puff out. Next. Next. Next. My fingers are tired!

Who knew fake flowers and styrofoam balls were so expensive!!! I honestly think these flower balls would have cost about the same had we used real flowers. I learned quite a bit about the fake flowers though. The greenery can really trick you and make you think you're getting more than you actually are. And remember to look for empty stems where someone may have pulled the flower off. Thank you, Hobby Lobby, for the 50% off sale. We made six flower balls using six different flowers. The larger balls used three sets of fake flowers each as the flower bunches were pretty sparse. The smaller balls used two sets of flowers each.

We used four different sizes of mason jars as candle holders and vases. We all fell in love with the little squatty jars. They don't hold much, but they're so cute!!! I'm sure my grandma and sister will love them as well once I mail them the extras for canning.

Fresh flowers was a must. They're so beautiful! We sent the groom and his groomsmen to go find 8+ bouquets of yellow, orange, and white daisy-style flowers the morning of the wedding. We all crossed our fingers hoping they would be able to find some good bouquets. And success! Half of the bouquets were even on sale! We had six 8' rectangle tables for guests and one 6' round table for the bridal party and all tables had a couple mason jar bouquets each.

New Portal 2 video introduces British comedian Stephen Merchant (Extras, The Office) as the voice of Wheatley.

Plastic causes a trifecta of problems. We're running out of places to dump our non-biodegradable plastic waste and it's clogging up our oceans. Burning plastic releases tons of CO2 into the atmosphere contributing to global warming. And to make the stuff, it soaks up 7% of our annual petroleum use, an in demand, diminishing resource.Akinori Ito

We either grill the whole breast (spiced with cumin, garlic powder, a little chili powder, or some of Will's dad's awesome spice mix if we have it) or cut into strips or bite-sized pieces and pan fry in some olive oil depending on whether we want to start the grill or not.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup fresh mint
• 1/2 cup cotija cheese (I used a Parmesan wedge)
• 3 tbsp toasted pecan halves
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves (I use 6+)
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and sliced (I've used 2 before)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp sherry vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast (I use 1 or 2 whole breasts)
• cooking spray
• 6 cups hot cooked penne pasta (about 3 ounces uncooked)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

1. Place first 7 ingredients in a food processor; process until well blended. With processor on, slowly pour oil through food chute; process until will blended. Place pesto in a large bowl; stir in vinegar and pepper.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat chicken with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Add chicken, pasta, and tomatoes to pesto; toss to combine.

Source: Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2006

Medical marijuana will soon be available in Germany, with the center-right coalition preparing to make major changes to the country's drug laws, a government health spokeswoman said this week.

Ingredients:

• 6 large fresh poblano chiles, stemmed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 12 ounces unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes or baby Dutch potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch cubes (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/4 cups coarsely grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano plus oregano leaves for garnish
• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 5 teaspoons ancho chile powder, divided
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Italian double-concentrated tomato paste*
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
• 6 1-inch-thick pork loin chops on bone, frenched
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Char chiles over gas flame or in broiler until blackened all over. Place chiles in bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap and let steam 15 minutes. Peel, leaving stem intact (do not tear flesh of chiles). Using small sharp knife, cut 1 long slit down side of each chile; carefully remove seeds. Toast cumin seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until slightly darkened and aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Set chiles and cumin aside.
2. Line rimless baking sheet with foil. Cook potatoes in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer potatoes to medium bowl; cool. Add cheese, chopped oregano, and toasted cumin; stir to distribute evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Carefully fill chiles with potato mixture, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup filling for each. Working with 1 chile at a time, hold in palm and squeeze gently to compress lightly. Place stuffed chiles on prepared sheet.
3. Combine broth, juice, 2 teaspoons chile powder, and next 4 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened and reduced to 2/3 cup, 8 to 9 minutes. DO AHEAD Chiles and sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill separately. Let chiles return to room temperature before continuing.
4. Mix 3 teaspoons chile powder and 1 tablespoon coarse salt in small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over pork chops; let stand at room temperature up to 2 hours.
5. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Brush pork with oil. Place pork chops on 1 side of grill. Transfer chiles on foil to opposite side of grill. Grill pork chops until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate and let rest 10 minutes. Grill chiles until cheese melts, about 15 minutes.
6. Rewarm sauce. Place 1 pork chop and 1 chile on each plate. Drizzle sauce over, sprinkle with oregano leaves, and serve.

Source: Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

• 10 3-4" Fresno chiles or six 4-5" Anaheim chiles
• 9 oz feta, crumbled
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 2 egg yolks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Arrange a rack 6" from the broiler element and set oven to broil. Put peppers on a baking sheet and broil, turning once, until just soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack; let cool.
2. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to whip feta, oil, yogurt, parsley, zest, oregano, and egg yolks; season with salt and pepper. Make a lengthwise cut from the stem to the tip of each pepper; scoop out seeds and ribs. Stuff each pepper with some of the feta filling; transfer to an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet; chill for 30 minutes. Sprinkle peppers with grated cheese; broil peppers until cheese is golden brown and bubbly, about 6 minutes. Transfer peppers to a platter and serve hot.

Serves 4-6


Source: Saveur

ucchini and feta... yes please! Found this linked from Saveur via YumSugar while checking out the recipe for Peppers Stuffed With Feta which will be added next. :) I had to look up ouzo as I assumed it was a drink but wasn't sure. I'm not a fan of anise flavors so I may skip that step completely.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups zucchini (grated and squeezed)
• 1/4 cup of feta (crumbled)
• 1 splash ouzo
• 1 clove garlic (chopped)
• 2 green onions (chopped)
• 1 handful herbs (such as mint, dill and parsley, chopped)
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste
• flour (I used whole wheat)
• breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)
• oil for frying

Directions:

1. Mix the zucchini, feta, ouzo, garlic, green onion, herbs and egg and season with salt and pepper.
2. Mix in equal parts flour and breadcrumbs until you can work with the mixture to form balls.
3. Form the mixture into balls and dust in flour.
4. Fry in oil until golden brown and set aside to cool.

Makes 12 zucchini balls


Source: Closet Cooking


iPhone pics aren't the best for food pictures, but I'm trying to remember to add more pictures of the recipes we cook.

rom modifications to Rachel Ray's recipe via Sarah and Brad's family cookbook, this sounds pretty tasty. I agree with Sarah by looking at the ingredients that this needs more flavor. Garlic, chili powder, cumin, more peppers, etc sounds about right. I've never made a chicken tortilla soup before so this should be a good test.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 packages chicken tenders, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
• 1 tbsp coriander, a palm full
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves, 5 to 6 sprigs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 large bell pepper, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 (28oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 bag white corn tortilla chips
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack or sharp white cheddar
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 scallions, chopped
• handful fresh cilantro leaves or fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add chicken, begin to brown 4 minutes, add coriander, thyme, onions, bell pepper, and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and stock, heat through.
2. While the soup is working, lightly crush some tortilla chips and divide among 4 bowls. You need a couple of handfuls per bowl. Top the chips with a little cheese. Toss the avocado with lime juice. Top the chips with ladles of soup. Garnish soup with avocado, scallions, and cilantro or parsley.

Source: 30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray

Updated Drupal to 6.19 on K|F and noticed I forgot a couple modules after my migration from 5 to 6. Captcha for one. How did I forget that!? The upgrade process kinda sucks...or maybe I need a better preparation process. Yes.

Assholes sure are assholes...and they're so much more shitty when you have to work with them. I really wish they would go far far away because they bring out my angry, snarky side way too often...like week-daily. But it's the weekend, no more energy spent on jerks for the next couple of days.

I'm anxiously waiting for my Portal buttons to arrive. My notcot lady will soon meet a bit of nerdiness. Glados, you earned a small place on a corner of my STM. I need to finish Portal. Finding time to play games seems close to impossible.

Ok, that's not fair. Let's try this again. I have way too many hobbies for the amount of free time I have and gaming doesn't rank very high compared to some others. I'm looking for a quilter to finish assembling my Heather Bailey quilt (and then I have a new one to start). I have the outdoor couch cushions to either recover or do some serious scrubbing (and then oil the eucalyptus). My drink-and-draw book is getting a little dusty and I have a couple canvases that haven't even been gesso'd. Sons of Anarchy to watch (YAY!). Wedding decorations tomorrow. Assembly on Friday and Saturday. I'm really diggin the projects that my ladies and I get together to work on.

y mistake, I bought a pound of ground pork one weekend recently (was supposed to get pork sausage for another recipe) so I quickly searched the Epicurious app and found this little treat. Hmmm... sounds pretty good. I like pork. I like barbecue sauce (especially the chipotle hot Austin's Own). I like spicy food. I like burgers. I like barbecued burgers. So I thought this would probably turn out pretty good. Pretty good was an understatement. These were soooooooo friggin tasty. Makes me want to experiment more with burgers.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup bottled tomato-based barbecue sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork

Directions:

1. Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas).
2. Stir together barbecue sauce, cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and vinegar until combined well.
3. Mix together pork, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce mixture until combined (do not overmix), then form into 4 (3/4-inch-thick) burgers (4 inches in diameter).
4. Oil grill rack, then grill patties, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over occasionally, until just cooked through, about 6 minutes total. Brush top of each patty with 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce mixture, then turn over and grill 30 seconds. Brush top of each patty with 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce, then turn over and grill 30 seconds more.

Source: Epicurious

In one of the first military commissions held under the Obama administration, a US military judge has ruled that confessions obtained by threatening the subject with rape are admissible in court.

How my G.O.P. destroyed the U.S. economy. Yes, that is exactly what David Stockman, President Ronald Reagan's director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote in a recent New York Times op-ed piece, 'Four Deformations of the Apocalypse.'

Small-brained human ancestors used stone tools to whack into large mammals 800,000 years earlier than previously thought.

For the first time in the United States, populations of genetically modified organisms were found to be growing in the wild in North Dakota.

There may be hope yet for the ludicrously long-in-the-making Duke Nukem Forever. Sources claiming to have knowledge of the situation tell Kotaku that Duke Nukem Forever development continues at a new home, Borderlands developer Gearbox Software.

TED Talks Speaking at the most recent EG conference, author, philosopher, prankster and journalist A.J. Jacobs talks about the year he spent living biblically -- following the rules in the Bible as literally as possible.

Researchers at the University of Washington have discovered the latest in a long list of chemicals your body naturally produces that resemble those found in marijuana -- chemicals they say could eventually be turned into a smokeless cannabis replacement that offers and increases the full efficacy of marijuana's most useful effects.