Perfect Persimmon

I have been so inspired by the spring colors finally popping up all over. Walking around the back yard blooming with forsythia, daffodils and persimmon colored tulips, I am inspired to dig up all the orange fashion I can get my hands on! An ode to spring; it finally made it to New England!

 

Merry and Bright...

If I ever needed an excuse to make things pretty, Christmas is the time. I have been pleading with Will to get a tree since right after Thanksgiving and we finally picked one up yesterday. It's our first "official" Christmas tree, since last year we cut down a budget friendly Charlie Brown tree behind Will's parents house. I had to make paper ornaments because everything weighed down the tiny sapling branches. This year I was able to dig out Will's grandmother's handmade, straw decorations and my own miscellaneous assortment and loaded our tree with as much sparkle as I could scrape together without spending a penny. I discovered a bag of clear ornaments, purchased for the intention of last year's gifts and filled them with feathers, moss and shredded sheets of music. I used a flea market tapestry as a tree rug and cut extra boughs of pine for the mantle. My next holiday DIY project will be handmade dream catchers and paper chains but for now our home has the warm glow of the holidays. Creating "home" the way my mother always managed despite her empty bank account is something I hope I will never lose touch with.  Something about the glowing lights and smell of pine drives all the gloom of New England winter away...

Home Sweet

Building a nest is in my blood. My mother, for as long as I can recall has been sanding, painting, upholstering and decorating. If the kitchen table wasn't immaculately dressed for a holiday, complete with antique china turkeys for thanksgiving amidst fresh fall bouquets, it was mounded with art supplies or the newest project at hand. A room always being redesigned or new painting being transformed. Lately, settled in a place that finally feels like home, I've been diligently tidying my own nest. Creating beauty is my life's contentment. Our little caccoon is still in its early stages, but it is my sanctuary, my bit of respite from a busy world.

Kale and Gorgonzola Stuffed Chicken

I am he first person to admit that healthful living does not always come easily to me... I love beer and wine, drink iced coffee like Nancy Botwin from Weeds and can polish off a bag of Wachusett Sour Cream and Onion Chips like they'll stop making them tomorrow. That being said, I believe in moderation. I think all bad things must be balanced with good things, as long as the good things are delicious and fresh!

 

Pick fresh or buy local, organic when you can... Your body will thank you. 

If you grow yourself, your wallet will thank you!

Kale and Gorgonzola Stuffed Chicken

4 boneless, skinless breasts of chicken (try organic, free-range)

4-5 cloves garlic

2 small yellow onions

3 tbs. olive oil

4 cups chopped, raw kale- stems removed

1 cup walnuts

1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1 egg

1 tbs+ freshly chopped herbs of choice 

(I used rosemary, thyme and sage)

salt and pepper to taste

Unfortunately, for my reader I rarely measure

(William, my type "A" counterpart, fervently disagrees with this policy).

Certainly use your own judgement in regards to measurement and portion.

 

 Finely chop or blend in a food processor: 4 cloves of garlic and 2 small onions.

In medium frying pan saute garlic and onions in olive oil.

Meanwhile, process or chop 3 cups of kale 

with 1 cup walnuts 

and 1 cup Gorgonzola cheese.

Slice chicken breast horizontally, parallel with cutting board, 

leaving one side attached.

Open chicken so it lies flat and pound between wax paper 

or plastic wrap until it is roughly 1/4" thick.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix sauteed onion and garlic with kale, Gorgonzola, walnut mixture.

Add spices, salt and pepper to taste, and one egg. 

Lay the chicken breast open on cutting board and fill 

one side with stuffing mixture. 

Fold other half of breast over the mixture 

and weave together with a small wooden skewer.

Place stuffed breasts in a buttered or oiled baking dish.

Add salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and rosemary garnish over top.

Cook at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes depending on size 

and serve over a bed of fresh, chopped kale and romaine leaves.

I served this meal with vinaigrette-basted,
grilled romaine hearts and fresh cherry tomatoes. 

This is a quick and refreshing meal that myself
and the boys enjoyed thoroughly! 

I promise you will feel satisfied and guilt-free!

An ode to kale

For those of you who can't stand posts about meals on Facebook, clearly you don't understand my love affair with food. At least now, you can selectively read about my eating habits, right?

Kale is one of those vegetables that I have never acknowledged much, it used to be mere decoration on meat and cheese platters, then just another leafy green I didn't venture to learn much about.  I'd certainly eaten it, knew the nutritious benefits of those curly leaves, and even attempted to use it in my juice cleanses (it doesn't juice well) but I never craved it like I do now.  I have to credit my friend Darcy for my new affinity for kale. Darcy brought kale back onto my radar when she bought the most delicious snack I'd ever indulged in- kale chips! At $7 dollars a bag my cravings have been left unsatiated. I would walk the aisles of The Living Earth drooling over the produce section, have dreams about growing an entire garden full of kale.... Finally, I bought a massive bag of it with the intention of making all things kale, including these beloved "healthy chips". I am a sucker for savory. Screw chocolate! I mean, give me a bag of tortilla chips or salt and vinegar! But a bag of chips that I won't regret or wonder whether Monsanto made them with the dreaded (and creepy) homogenized corn? Victory! Tonight, having had a pretty exhausting day in the retail world, I decided kale salad would suit my deficit of energy. I found this recipe for "Tuscan Kale Salad" on Pinterest from 101cookbooks.com. Believe it or not, the photos are what tempted me most. I have never seen a salad really look so comforting and delicious... and that's exactly what it was. Call me crazy for writing a blog post about salad, but until you try it and pair it with my friend Andrew's homemade pork rillet (which is a pork product I truly never thought I'd eat) spread on brown rye with butter- don't even think about judging me! I love being surrounded by an assortment of friends who are both health nuts and foodies, I get super lucky in the meal department. So, I just finished this vitamin packed dinner and am utterly full and now I think I'm ready to tackle some major cleaning and hopefully my next art project before bed. Huzzah for the mighty kale!... Oh and huzzah for pork fat too!


Tuscan Kale Salad Recipe:

Dressing: Lemon juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and a drop or 2 of balsamic vinegar

Giant mound of organic kale
Grated Peccorino Romano Cheese
Toasted garlic bread crumbs (I just threw some in a skillet with olive oil and minced garlic)

images and recipe from

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/raw-tuscan-kale-salad-recipe.html

Dances with Women

 

Belly dance has been a part of my life for about five or six years now. I have taken classes and participated in a troupe, but have never immersed myself quite as deeply as I have dreamed. My new session of classes began last month and have inspired my desire to truly learn the art and perfect it. I have always been drawn to eastern cultures; their food, clothing, rituals and dance. India is number one on my list of places to travel and I have always claimed "gypsy blood". My first experience with belly dance was in the Turkish and Egyptian tradition. My instructor Shazaar taught us how graceful and serene belly dance could be, not just about the popularized shimmies and hip stings of Arabic belly dance. Later I took a class in fusion belly dance which combines jazz and hip hop with traditional belly dance (think Beats Antique). I loved it, but felt disconnected from the tribal roots and history of the dance. Being over 6000 years old, it is believed that modern belly dance originated from similar dances that were used in matriarchal societies to honor the fertility and mystique of the female. It is also said that belly dance mimics the undulations and spasms of the female body during labor. As a woman, how could it not feel natural to move my body this way? My mother used to question whether I was hers when I would chase her around the kitchen doing hula hoop moves and shimmies, for mere shock value. My sister and friends often like to make me perform my booty drop for strangers when there is any music around. Some people are just supposed to shake their hips, I guess. My most recent foray into belly dance is taught by someone who has become somewhat of an idol to me. I met Bayda as a customer at my store. She is an artist, teacher and dancer. There is something about her confidence and femininity that is immediately striking. She is one of those few women that are genuinely complimentary and encouraging toward other women while still being a powerful force of her own. I eventually discovered she taught classes and signed Amber and myself up straight away. Bayda re-invoked a confidence and sensuality I didn't realize I had recently started to stifle. This may be 2012 but being a sensual woman is a hazardous thing and being a confident woman, sometimes even more so. Bayda encourages us to be sexy and proud and exact in our movements. She tells us never look down, in life or in dance. Every woman should know how to hold herself with such strength and beauty. I believe that sexuality and confidence command a room and there is nothing wrong in that when it is humble and pure.

 

 To share dance and music with a group of women and to play off of each other's movements and rhythm is a beautiful and ancient ritual that western society does not hold dear. This dance is not about or for men's enjoyment. It is for women, by women and in reverence to women and the sacred connection we share, at every age. Women in many other eastern and tribal cultures share daily intimacies in ways Americans do not. Call me old-fashioned, but cooking, laughing and dancing together are all a part of our nature as the females of our species. Without even realizing it, women segregate themselves with judgement and unhealthy expectations. They criticize one another and keep a distance by forgetting what unites us. I am grateful to have really supportive and accepting women in my life. I spend my day with mostly women and I truly appreciate their unique roles. I can't say I've always had such an open-minded group of female friends, but I've realized it's vital to my sanity. Amber and I are already dancing in sequence, correcting each other's mistakes and looking darn good (in abs and in skill)if I do say so myself. I certainly have years of practice and study ahead, but I am feeling like myself again. Our relationship as sisters is stronger than ever, with just one day a week set aside for dinner and dancing. Music is in me. Whether in my living room or in the studio, you'll usually find me humming, dancing and singing. Anyone who knows me knows that a dance party or sing-along is always stirring... Belly dance has allowed me to reconnect with my body again. Not only is the dance sensual and beautiful and empowering to watch but I FEEL sensual, beautiful and empowered as well. I highly recommend it ladies, get thse hips rollin'.

 

Sweet Dreams

Loomis is a big part of our family, much to the chagrin of my white down comforter. I know it's wrong, according to Cesar Milan and I know he makes me horribly uncomfortable for most of the night. I know I spoil him and he thinks that he's the alpha of our pack and all that logical nonsense, but he's just so friggin cute. How could I possibly make this face sleep on the floor??

 That being said, the bedding has less than attractive Loomis induced stains that no throw can disguise, despite how much I bleach it. Many a night I wake up sputtering and choking on an inhaled goose feather and some mornings I go to work with a lovely halo of down, for all the rips and tears. It is certainly time for a change. Everywhere else in my life: home, job, paintings and wardrobe... there is an excess of color. I need the bedroom to be a visually calming and muted space in which to relax and escape my colorful life. Here is some inspiration thus far, stay tuned for the actual redo!

 

 

 

(we have a sink in the bedroom- not a tub, but a girl can dream right?)

 

Sigh... perhaps someday soon!