how to: build a terrarium

happy earth day!

today, we're making terrariums!

what you'll need

container of some sort

small potting pebbles

succulent or cactus potting soil

a variety of succulents, cactus, etc.

directions

1. clean out container and prep it for potting

2. fill bottom of vessel with one layer of small rocks to help with drainage

(this step is optional, but if you're like me and overwater your plants - i would highly suggest it!)

3. add layer of succulent/cactus potting soil

(you don't need to over do it here - you can always add more later)

4. take plants, pulling off any excess soil from their original container
and dig them into the soil. fill your little pot to your liking.

5. place somewhere with bright light and water once per week.

the lazy girl's guide to decorating easter eggs

i don't know about you, but i love the little traditions 

that come along with each season and holiday.

this year however, the thought of decorating eggs felt 

both exciting and daunting all at the same time.

so i decided to do the quickest, easiest, 

no-nonsense egg decorating of all time. 

HELLO!

it's not too late to make this happen before your Easter celebration this Sunday! :)

what you'll need

1 dozen brown eggs

white, non-toxic paint pens, small and large

(i got mine at office max for $1.99 each)

what to do

1. feel free to hard boil your eggs 

OR if you're LAZY like me - just decorate them as they are!

2. carefully use paint pens to draw designs all over your eggs, 

being careful not to smudge the paint.

i found that it dries relatively quickly and didn't get smudges unless i was really careless.

3. voila! how easy is that??? 

rhubarb apple pie

if you're from bellingham, you've heard of ski to sea.

it's an annual race of sorts, accompanied by a parade, a fair, etc.

it's really one of the most exciting things that happens in bellingham every year.

two years ago my mom and all her friends got together to start this...

yes, it's a synchronized umbrella drill team.

(i am not making this up)

this year, they won an award.

(pics courtesy of gcb)

pretty out of control AND awesome all at the same time :)

ahnika, summer, marcy, heather, candice, stacey, michelle:

maybe this will be us in 30 years??? LOL! :)

or maybe we'll just be hanging out on saturday night

drinking cocktails and eating rhubarb apple pie :)

ingredients

1/2 package refrigerated pie dough OR my favorite recipe here

  cooking spray

3 1/2 cups sliced fresh rhubarb (about 1 1/4 pounds)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2  granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/8 teaspoon salt, divided

  1 cup all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup chopped walnut halves

recipe via cooking light

directions

1. preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. make pie dough and roll onto a lightly floured work surface; roll into a 12-inch circle.

fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. turn edges under; flute.

3. combine rhubarb, granulated sugar, juice, and apples; toss.

sprinkle the rhubarb mixture with cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons flour; toss.

spoon rhubarb mixture into prepared crust.

4. lightly spoon remaining flour (about 3/4 cup)
into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
combine flour, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, and brown sugar in a medium bowl;

cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender

or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

stir in walnuts. sprinkle butter mixture evenly over rhubarb mixture.

5. bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees (do not remove pie).

bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly

(shield edges of crust with foil if it gets too brown)

6. let pie stand on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before slicing.

 7. serve with vanilla bean ice cream :)

a little story about a kite...

as promised here,

i wanted to tell you a little story about a kite that could.

about a year and a half ago i got the amazing opportunity

to travel to phnom penh, cambodia with city church.

it was life-changing.

i got to meet kids like this...

and see crazy things like this...

(yes, just an elephant casually walking down the street)

anyway, while strolling along the waterfront on one of our last nights

we came across a kite stand...

and honestly, we just couldn't resist. 

so, about 50 cents later, we all had kites to bring home to america.

why we thought this was a good idea, i don't exactly remember,

but trust me when i said the love we had for those kites was grand.

(this is my dear friend rachel. she named hers 'tuck')

(she also bought such a large kite that it was hard to get through security. LOL)

ANYWAY.

my little cambodian mermaid kite has been sitting on my desk for 1.5 years

just waiting (and likely YEARNING) to be flown.

so, when a sunny and windy sunday presented itself, like it did this past weekend,

i jumped on the opportunity to see if this little guy could actually fly.

i was skeptical.

but, sure enough... IT FLIES!

and that, my friends, is a springtime miracle in seattle.

and it totally made my weekend.

thanks for reading. happy friday! :)

spring veggie & goat cheese dip

yesterday was beautiful in seattle.

it was sunny and warm and i quite enjoyed myself.

about half way through the day,

i realized it was just too hot for jeans (seriously)

and so, i adventured into my closet to grab a pair of shorts

and planned to continue on with my day.

well, what you probably don't realize, if you don't live in seattle,

is that re-finding your summer clothes after a long and dreary winter is a daunting task.

after looking high and low on every shelf and inside of every drawer

i decided i must have relocated these so as to not take up space

during the 10 other rainy months of the year :)

so FINALLY, i find a large 3 by 4 by 2 foot tupperware container

that literally holds every single summer thing i own.

(slight exaggeration)

in any case.

i pull out the first pair of shorts i see

and as i put them on i realize they still have tags attached. hilarious.

apparently it didn't get warm enough to debut these last summer.

oh the wonders of living in this beautiful city :)

ingredients

1 cup 3/4-inch pieces asparagus

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped leeks (white and pale-green parts only)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1 cup grated mild white cheddar

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

114-ounce can chopped artichoke hearts in water, drained

1/4 cup fresh (or frozen, thawed) peas

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

4 ounces crumbled fresh goat cheese, divided

directions

1. preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. cook asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.

drain; let cool.

3. melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

add leeks and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 10 minutes.

whisk in flour; gradually whisk in milk. bring to a simmer, whisking constantly.

cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened; remove from heat.

(leeks = my new favorite veggie)

4. add cheddar; whisk until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.

season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5. fold in asparagus (reserve tips), artichoke hearts, peas, chives,

mint, flat-leaf parsley, zest and 2 oz. crumbled fresh goat cheese.

6. transfer mixture to a 4–5-cup baking dish;

arrange asparagus tips on top and dot with another 2 oz. goat cheese.

7. bake until golden brown and bubbling, 15–20 minutes.

let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

tips & review

*i actually LOVED the fresh ingredients

the fresh herbs, lemon zest, etc. made it super delicious

*next time i actually would have put in more veggies (maybe 50% more)

*my dish size was not ideal... i think a shorter wider dish would have

allowed the mixture to set up a bit more and have more crispy surface area

*cook your milk mixture slightly longer than you need to

*overall i really enjoyed the flavors in this. perf for a summer party :)

*it was a bit heavy, but still :)

enjoy!