Beautiful structural globes of color. . .ALLIUMS! ;)

Each year I look forward to discovering how many little children my Alliums hatched up from the year before. I started with 3 bulbs 7 years ago and am now the proud grandmother of 25! 

These fun purple globes make me smile each time I pass by them, they provide structure and pops of color whereever they're planted. They stand 2'-3' tall, blooms last about a month and are strong, happy and usually covered with bees. All types of bees buzz over to these and hang out for hours before heading out to populate other parts of my garden. With the bee population declining over the years this is a definite plus for any gardener.

Alliums have really hit their stride in the USA and new cultivars are being greedily snapped up each season. This variety is Allium Giganteum 'Globemaster' and is probably the most well known. Who can resist inviting these head sized magenta violet fluff balls into their gardens? Not many. 


While we were at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens a few weeks ago I spotted this wonderfully deep maroon Allium in on of their beautiful boarders and snapped a quick photo. Although not fully in bloom I could tell it would be a complete knockout once matured. Hopefully I can get back their to see these beauties in their full glory. 

As soon as we got home I searched online for this variety and discovered it's called Allium Atropurpureum 'Hemispheres'. It reaches 2' to 3' tall and it's maroon blooms fade to a purplish black color. How cool! This is going on my wish list for sure. 


I have some white ones and smaller magenta Alliums but neglected to take photos in time. Oh well next year. 


Tomorrow will be all about roses. I've collected over 90 of them over the past 10 years. A mix of English, Hybrid Teas and Floribundas. Signing off for now, time to enjoy the rest of this peaceful Saturday.   


Here's a link to purchase Alliums online:
http://www.burpee.com/flowers/flowering-bulbs/fall-planted-bulbs/alliums/?cid=PPC

Starting with Spireas

I love taking photos in the morning. The birds are signing at the top of their little lungs, everything is covered in a gentle soft light--perfect for photos. Here is a shot of our teahouse that Mighty Mouse built me when we first moved in 11 years ago. I jotted down a quick design and he built it himself, he cracked 3 ribs doing it but he did it. Stubborn man! 11 years later it's not yet completed, the 1/3 walls aren't up nor are the screens installed. He's a busy man and I don't have the heart to nag him about completing this on his rare free weekends. 

(Allium 'Globemaster', white peonies, 'New Dawn' white rose, lupins and David Austin rose 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh' pink English in the foreground of this photo.)


Ahhh, now that most of my heavy duty gardening chores are completed and routine maintenance is only required, I can start enjoying my garden and start blogging about it with you all. Let's start with Spireas. Spireas are awesome deciduous shrubs. The variety I have is called Neon Flash and I think it's beautiful. Look at those neon magenta flowers! Yellow, red and white flowering and variegated varieties are also available at most nurseries.

Spirea has gotta be one of the easiest bushes to grow, certainly one of the easiest I've encountered. They grow well in all well-drained soils and aren't too fussy about requirements --full sun, part shade are fine. I planted this about 8 years ago in a mostly sunny location in the backyard. This bush gets about 3' tall and about as wide, I trim mine to maintain a smaller girth. The flower clusters are great for cutting and adding to arrangements. The bush is covered in flowers in a spectacular display for over a month (mid June to mid July in my zone 7-8 garden) and if deadheaded will have a second round of blooms but not as abundant. The foliage is a nice blueish green, delicate lacy serrated edges for lack of a better description right now. I haven't noticed any insect problems and they're disease resistant, if scented and evergreen they would be the perfect shrub in my eyes.

I've been researching propagation (which seems relatively easy to do) over the past few months and will add this to my list of growing candidates. I would love to have 8 more of these gems gracing my yard.

A twist on lemon bars

Since Mighty Moe can't have anything with caffeine (much to my chocoholic and coffee dismay) I often make blondies, pies and lemon bars for him. I was in a bar mood yesterday and totally torn between making caramel blondies or lemon bars, decisions, decisions! My pantry made the choice for me--out of dark brown sugar. Lemon bars it was. Whenever I take these anywhere they disappear like Santa on xmas eve. 

Most recipes create rather thin bars and I enjoy a nice buttery almond crust and lots of delicious lemony filling. Here is my simple twist on the classic Land of Lakes recipe. 

Ingredients(Makes 16 large bars or 24 smaller ones)

Crust
1 1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling
2 1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel (optional)
6 eggs

Topping
Powdered sugar to preference. I end up using about 1/2 a cup. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all crust ingredients into medium sized mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed mixed well. Dough should be nice and crumbly. Press into lightly greased  13" by 9" by 2" baking dish.
Bake for approx. 16-17 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing all filling ingredients in same medium sized mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed until well mixed. Pour filling over  the partially baked crust. Place dish back into the oven and continue baking for and additional 17 to 20 minutes or until the top is light golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool completely. Cut into bars. 

5 Alarm Hummus. . .Don't do what I just did.

I just devoured 1/2 the bowl by myself and still have dinner and lemon bars waiting. Whoops! O.O . . .I've been snacking on hummus for the past hour and my lips are tingling. This batch was spicy but awesome stuff. Hummus is one of those things I used to buy but started making myself because in addition to being able to be creative and use things I have on hand, I can make 3 times as much for the same price! 

I was out of tahini (sesame paste) so I substituted by using 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil--worked just as well! I love how quick and easy it is to make. Once you start making your own hummus and playing around with flavors you'll probably never buy the store bought ones again. Here's my 5 Alarm recipe.  


Ingredients (makes 3 1/4 cups for approx. $2.40)


2 cans garbanzo beans (15 oz each), drained
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini (or 2 tablespoons peanut butter & 1 teaspoons sesame oil)
1/2 cup red/green/yellow pepper strips (I used frozen)
4 -5 cloves garlic
1 medium jalapeno pepper, chopped (remove the seeds first if you don't want your lips to tingle)
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
dash of  parsley, fresh or dried
1/2 teaspooon salt
dash of oregano


Directions
Place all ingredients into a food processor (my processor makes my cooking forays so much easier!). If you don't have a processor mince up the ingredients and use a upright mixer. Set your processor to it's highest setting and pulse. Pulse until the mixture becomes creamy. About 5 minutes or until it reaches your desired texture (Mine took about 7 minutes because I rushed it and didn't chop my jalapeno first. Oooops!)


Do a quick taste test and add more olive oil or seasonings if needed.

Transfer into airtight container and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Great with pita chips, Nan & veggie sticks. Wasn't that easy? :)

Ann Curry leaving . . . .talk about a WTF moment?!!!!

Now I feel the need to talk about the disrespectful cold hearted dismissal of Ann Curry. You could almost feel the energy of hundreds of thousands of loyal show viewers across America uttering "What the f**k?!!. . .what f**kery is this?" as they watched Ann's heart break. We grew up with Ann, we watched her florish and mature, she's like family. Who are these bastards that did this? If you didn't see her goodbye today, check it out. Only a few minutes long and it literally made me weepy.

I've been a loyal viewer of The Today Show for over 20 years. Even when I worked at my corporate jobs and only got to catch less then an hour of it each day. It was my morning coffee buddy and background noise when I was getting ready to do my 8 to 5. I loved the show. I didn't agree with all of their segment choices or biased political stance, but I remained loyal. When I woke up at 5:30 and heard on our local news Ann Curry would be announcing her departure from The Today Show, I was sure they meant it was a rumor. When I tuned in and she conducted herself throughout most of the morning with her normal grace and professionalism I was indeed reassured it was only a rumor. Imagine my complete disappointment when she started in with her teary goodbye.. . okay girlfriend broke doooooown!. . .I was floored. It took me a bit to finish sniffling before I went onto the show's FB page and left not 1 or 2 but 3 comments my friends. Their page was blowing up with thousands of others posting their thoughts in support for Ann. Where the hell was Ann's "Over the Years" montage that the show bestowed on all the other departing hosts?!!!!!!! Double travesty. I'm sure NBC will not fully comprehend the the backlash of this decision until they analyse their next few qtrly. reports. Guess they didn't take notes and learn from the Deborah Norville or Conan O'Brian fiasco's. 


I'm not the type of person who just writes in to shows/programs/companies. Seriously I'm not. I wrote a "best wishes, I love you" type of message to Oprah on her last day (come on she's Oprah!). I've written warm fuzzy emails to Ellen "The Generous" Degeneres (because she's got to be one of the kindest, gentlest souls on earth. Also a not so warm and definitely fuzzless letter to the company with the "Have a Happy Period" campaign. . .Ohhhhh yaaaaaa you you know the one!! Boy did I tear into those twits--Paying all that money to try to convince us ladies that buying their product would result in "happy periods". . .as if happy periods exist or can be purchased. . .morons.  


Okay back to Ann, I left my comments on The Today Show FB page in short telling them their decision was stupid. Their ratings aren't dipping because of Ann Curry. Perhaps their actual lack of "news" coverage and their poorly produced 3-5 minute cooking/traveling/gossip/beauty segments have more to do with it. Those segments are so rushed through it's only entertainment value is in its hilarity. People talking over people and rushing  through steps or products with the speed of Flo Jo without the agility, but it does crack me up. I regaled Ann's professionalism, her ability to be not only compassionate but her brave "in the trenches" journalistic style whose in-depth reports touches hearts and have certainly opened my eyes on worldwide topics. I suggested those marketing geniuses do a poll as to what's in their format that is and isn't working with the public. I pointed out with their URL and FB this is relevant information and is freeeeeeeee!!! Perhaps they should have completed this simple little task before blaming it on Ann. 


Lastly, I wrote I don't feel Savannah G. is Co-host material. Savannah makes me physically wince in embarrassment for her during her awkward social interactions to the point where it became my cue; when I saw her on screen; to refill my cup of joe.  During frivolous "filler" segments it seems Savannah has the need to stick her foot in her mouth when in the presence of a celebrity-- truly awkward and a sign of her inability to co-host effectively at this point in her career. Let's face it she's not really a journalist. However, to her credit she shines during legal related segments. I have always liked Matt Lauer, but if he did indeed push for this debacle to happen the only word I have for him is "Jerk". . .Chris Brown may have thrown a chair at a window at 30 Rock but this would mean he (Matt) threw Ann under the bus. Maybe those two have more in common then he thought. 

Ann Curry Photo via: http://www.facebook.com/anncurry

I did some googling and came across an article stating that when Ann was told of her impending dismissal she was so upset she was going to leave the network. The mucky mucks did some negotiating and countered with the multi-mil contract and she accepted it. Like all corporate type of contracts I'm sure there is a clause that prohibits her to sue the shitty pants off them. Although even without the contract I don't think Ann is the type of person who would sue. One thing I know for sure is that she is the type of women will continue to foster her journalistic excellence. 


Wondering if NBC will add June 28, 2012 to their timeline as the day they f**ked up. . .again! I may need to join the ranks of loyal viewers who will no longer watch The Today Show--which makes me a bit sad. I hate finding new coffee buddies. 


This day sucks so far. :(  I hope you join me in "liking" this fb page: http://www.facebook.com/BoycottNBCToday  PS. You can also call NBC and voice your opinion! 212.664.4602

Adolf is missing. :(

Our teenage cat; Adolf; is missing. We haven't seen him since 6AM yesterday. Everyone in the house is beyond worried.

Adolf is the black and white kitty, Chloe is the whiter one with the raccoon tail, she's mine and the mommy. Chloe is the "I'll let you know when I feel like being petted" type--like most women. They seem to think I make the bed just for them, even though they're not allowed in the room. They sneak in there anytime I live the door open and make themselves comfy like the beds been on loan. Sheesh family always think they can get away with murder! :D


We suspect foul play. . .I'm not being paranoid. We've all canvassed the area by foot and car and fortunately have not seen any accident victims laying in the streets. I've contacted shelters, posted on Craigslist and FB. No luck. Which leaves me with the thought that foul play is afoot. I live behind a very large neighborhood in suburbia filled with gaggles of summer breakin kiddos--of which I'm sure there's at least one "let me take you home" child among them.  Adolf doesn't stray. Sure he does his little perimeter walks but he checks in every few hours. 


Now before you boo the choice of names let me tell ya, Mighty Mouse named him Adolf because he said the person was a monster but the name is nice. Adolf is the last kitty we kept after Chloe gave birth and we had her fixed. He was the runt and Mighty Mouse has a soft spot for runts. Even though Adolf was small he obnoxiously fought his way to those nipples and latched on until he became the strongest of her litter. You know how animals pick their owners? Well Adolf went from nipple to Mighty Moe to the point were I started wondering if he was Mighty Moe's wife from a past life. Seriously this cat is in complete utter love with him. I've owned many dogs and cats in my life and I've never seen anything quite like it! Mighty Moe taught him all his adorable but annoying habits like saying "Heeeeeeeeeeeelrooow", "Paaapa" the lastest one crooning while jiggling the french door handle "Iiiiiiwaaaaaaaanouuu". . meaning "I want out" . . .I'm dead serious, Adolf says those things. He smiles and rubs up against Mighty Moe's neck and face like a desperate $5 hooker. Like clockwork he comes in at 3:00pm everyday saying "Heeeeeelrooooow" while pacing the hallways seeing if Mighty Mouse is home yet. Starting at 8:00pm he's a virtual cling on and refuses to be anywhere but on or within petting range of Mighty Moe even if it means bathroom and shower visits. And Mighty Moe loves him just as ardently which is huge since he's always been more of a dog lover! Their love is certainly something to behold. Moe will CRUSHED if he doesn't come home. I WANT OUR CAT BACK! Waaaaaaaaaaaah! 

Old fashioned Snickerdoodles with a hint of molasses.

Who doesn't love Snickerdoodles, even the name is fun. 

I remember being about 6 years old when I first tasted the soft chewy cinnamon goodness of a Snickerdoodle. The trick with any chewy cookie is adding a little bit of dark molasses to the batter. My stepfather Earl; who was Kansas born and raised; taught my mother most of his good ol' fashion Midwestern recipes and she in turn taught us girls. I'm sure Grandma H. sent him a box of index cards with her recipes which he kept in his top dresser drawer. That "drawer" was filled with all kinds of treasures. It was a treat for us kids to go in there and fetch things like silver dollars, whoopie cushions etc. Earl was a man of many talents, farming and cooking were certainly a few. We grew vegetables each year on an acre of our 5 acre property--talk about alot of work! The Snickerdoodle is one of the easiest cookies to make hands down & certainly the favorite cookie of both my son and Mighty Mouse (keep in mind Mighty Mouse is allergic to caffeine so chocolate recipes don't count).

Ingredients (makes 36 cookies)
Dough
1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature (I like salted but you can use unsalted)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dark molasses
3 large eggs
4 1/8 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt


Coating
4 tablespoons sugar
4  teaspoons cinnamon
Optional: 1 teaspoon ground ginger powder


Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 2 un-greased baking trays into the fridge or freezer. 
• In a large mixing bowl, add butter, 2 cups of sugar, molasses, vanilla and eggs. Mix until creamy.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
• Add dry ingredients to butter mixture. Blend well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. 
• Make the coating. In a small bowl add the sugar, cinnamon and ginger.
• Remove the chilled dough from fridge and start rolling 36 - 1" balls. Once the balls are all rolled, cover each ball with the coating mixture by gently rolling each ball into cinnamon sugar bowl until completely coated. The recipe makes 36 cookies and I enjoy Snickerdoodles fresh from the oven thus I only make 12 at a time. I keep the rest in an airtight container in the fridge to bake off during the rest of the week. 

Place 6 dough balls onto each of the chilled ungreased cookie sheets. You can leave them as balls or gently press them down alittle bit to create a flatter cookie.  Bake approx. 8-10 minutes depending on what type of texture you prefer. It's critical to keep an eye on the cookies after 7 minutes to avoid over baking. I like my Snickerdoodles, soft yet chewy with nice little crispy edges and take them out when they're a nice honey color. You may like yours a bit crispier, in which case you leave them in the oven until they;re a medium honey color. In any case, after you bake and taste tested a few you'll find the perfect bake time that works for you. When the cookies are ready take them out of the oven and immediately remove them from cookie sheets to avoid them from over cooking. Cool on wire racks and enjoy. 

What to do with those Costco sized jars of tomatoes? Make sun-dried tomato & herb rolls.

The never ending supply of sun-dried tomatoes!

I always seem to have a huge Costco sized jar of sun-dried tomatoes in my fridge. I add them to egg salad, deviled eggs, pizza, pasta, salads, sauces but yet I never seem to run out of them. Since I planned on whipping up some pasta for dinner I decided to play around with my basic roll recipe. These turned out lovely. Of course I had to eat one as soon as they came out of the oven, a good cook tastes her/his food before serving right?! Eaten alone with a nice pat of butter was quite satisfying. I served them with my Shrimp Pancetta Carbonara. I have to admit the rolls aren't as good of a pairing as a nice loaf of French bread would have been. The lemony zest of the pasta speaks for itself. These rolls would be better served with a nice soup or used for mini turkey sandwiches or accompanied by brie or other type of creamy cheese. But yes they were good and I'm happy with the outcome.


Ingredients:
3 cup flour (I used 2 cups wheat and 1 cup AP flour)
1 cup warm water, 110 degrees
1 1/2 teaspoon fast active yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg, separated (the yolk for the dough and the whites for brushing)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried onions
1/2 teaspoon parsley, dried
1 teaspoon basil, dried (you could substitute with rosemary if you plan on serving these with poultry or pork)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked
Optional: 1/2 cup diced or sliced olives.

Directions:
In large mixing bowl combine warm water with yeast, sugar, salt and oil. Swish it around and let "proof" for about 15 minutes or until you see a bubbly type of foam forming. This just means your yeast is active. Add the yolk, onions, parsley, pepper, basil and mix well. 

Add 2 cups of the flour and mix, then add the remaining flour and knead for about 8 minutes. 

Using your hands divide the dough into 12 even sized balls. Place on top of a oiled baking tray. Cover and keep in a warm place for about 2 - 3 hours. When dough has risen it's time to bake. Brush the rolls with egg white and place into preheated oven. Before baking, brush the top of the rolls with egg whites. Figure 1. 

Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 - 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Shrimp & Pancetta Carbonara

Carbonara, Carbonara! One of those fancy little dishes you can pay an arm and  a leg for at an Italian restaurant and go home wishing you had more! Save your wishes for your birthday cake and make this dish yourself. 

Carbonara is easily one of my favorite Italian Pasta dishes. It's quick to make, colorful and chalk full of fresh flavors. The dish is not nearly as intimadating as some believe. The key is to have the pasta and skillet of the ingredients cooking at the same time in order to quickly combine into the egg mixture. The hot pasta, sautéd onions, shrimp, pancetta mixture cook the eggs and melt the cheese producing a nice flavorful creaminess. Adding the eggs and cheese mixture directly into the pasta pan is a BIG no no!--Instead of a creamy pasta you'll end up with a result more akin to scrambled eggs & pasta.


You can also add sliced seasonal vegetables to this, such as zucchini, squash or mushrooms. But this dish is awesome in it's simplicity and perfect for dining al fresco with a nice bottle of wine. 


Ingredients (serves 4)
1 - 1.5 lb medium to large shrimp. Remove shells and devaine. I love shrimp and always end up using 1.5lbs. 
1 cup pancetta or bacon diced
1/2 cup sweet onion, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves chopped garlic minced
3 large eggs 
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Zest of 1 large lemon
1 lemon juiced
1 pinch of old bay seasoning
2 Tablespoon of butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound spaghetti pasta
Optional: 1/3 cup of toasted almonds (sliced or slivered) or 1/3 cup of toasted bread crumbs.
Note: You can easily change this recipe by replacing the shrimp with cubes of halibut, cod, mussels, clams or crab meat. 


Directions
In a large skillet heat olive oil on medium high. Sauté diced pancetta or bacon, onions and garlic. Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add spaghetti pasta and cook al dente. Drain.


Once sautéd to a golden brown, push to the side of skillet to make room for the shrimp. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, the shrimp and sauté until opaque (approx. 5 to 6 minutes, see figure 1). 

Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl (large enough to eventually hold the pasta and sautéd mixture), add the eggs, salt, pepper, Old Bay seasoning, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 of the lemon juice, zest and parsley together in a large bowl, see figure 2. 

Immediately add the pasta into the mixing bowl.Add the sautéd mixture from skillet to mixing bowl.  Quickly mix in order to "cream" the eggs instead of "scrambling" them. Continue mixing ensuring all pasta is coated, see figure 3.

Do a taste test and add more of the lemon juice and/or seasonings to taste. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle pasta with toasted almonds or bread crumbs (a sprinkle of crushed chili pepper flakes add a nice punch). Serve with a nice crusty french bread. I served mine with homemade sundried tomato/basil rolls. Simply bellisimooo!

I'm back! What I've been up to and why.

Hello everyone! I hope you've enjoyed Spring as much as I. There's nothing like welcoming back old garden friends and getting your hands dirty. I had sooooo many weeds and pruning to do this year it was quite ridiculous. 

Here's a quick recap of what I've been up to these past few months. My mother had her double mastectomy and is going into reconstructive surgery on July 25th. No chemotherapy needed so far. My mother's illness affected me more then even I thought and I've been in a bit of a funk. I now realize I was sitting on the pinnacle of impending doom holding my breath. Just in the past few weeks I've begun breathing in the fresh air again. Whooooooooooooosh! 

Mighty Mouse built me some awesome raised garden beds for about $12 each which made all the hard garden work really worth it. I planted Brandywine, Purple Cherokee and Mortgage Lifter heirloom tomatoes. Brussel sprouts, snow and pole peas, corn, basil, cilantro, hot and bell peppers, kale, broccoli and some butternut squashes. The garden stores have been packed each time I've ventured in. I'm not sure if it's the Organics craze or the economy that is inspiring everyone to grow veggies but I'm happy to see people getting back to some fundamental basics and taking time out from our high tech society.

I have quite a few photos I need to post of my gardening escape but also about 30 more recipes to write out and post photos of. I did indeed do research on blogging and have discovered to my delight that new blogs average around 15 visitors per month. Mine averages about 200 per month since I started late last January. Although I have yet to have a bonafide "member" I do see that I get quite a few visitors. I'm doing something right! :D Now to figure out what I'm doing wrong. 

I've also been tapping back into my creative bits. I have a few ideas that I'm seriously thinking about. One in particular which I've been dreaming about for months and am going to pursue is the creation of a fashion accessory product. You're thinking "oh another accessory. . ." but hold up friends this is something that is fun, functional and will give a bit of flair to your wardrobe and not break the bank. Hopefully I can get a few prototypes made soon and make some connections. My dream would be to take it to market on QVC, but they require a large quantity on hand. If you know of a manufacturer of fabric fashion accessories please contact me. I'd really prefer it to be manufactured in America. The biggest hurdle is funding it. I may create a campaign for myself on Indiegogo. In the future you can follow the progress of this venture on a dedicated page I'm making: "Recipes for a Start-up Business" with the case study on "The Bootie Band." As in "bootie" for your feet not your behind "booty." For those who are thinking about starting a product based product, you may find some information helpful or share some of yours. 

Another is an idea which arose from watching that horrible video of the  Karen the Bus Monitor being bullied. I -- like so many am upset about it. I'm thrilled that she is received so many donations via contributors on Indiegogo.com for her vacation. If you have a dream and haven't been on Indiegogo.com STOP reading this blog and go there now! The site was created by Saints and is visited by Angels here on earth. . .I sound crazy? Go check it out you big dreamer! I'm all about sharing information and if it wasn't for poor Karen getting so much press I wouldn't know about that gem of a site. Okay I digress, back to Karen . . .that story combined with a kaleidoscopic of newstories about bullies and teen suicides made me think about the deterioration of basic proper behavior in our world and its' impact. I'm thinking about writing a series of books targeted at 3 to 14 year olds about kindness. It would be a type of workbook for them and their parents. I don't know if I'll do it or not but it's one of those thoughts that continue to come back to me. Although I'm Graphic Designer I'm in no way a Illustrator but I do enjoy writing. It should have been me to write 50 Shades of Gray! 

Okay, I'm done rambling for now. I have a ton of photos and recipes to color correct and post. I think I've earned .2 now with this blog but you know it's a labor of love! Big cosmic hug you all.