Month: February 2012

Spinach Quiche Recipe

We made this for dinner last night with our friend and it was so good we had to make it again tonight for my family!

Ingredients
     1 frozen pie crust

     3 slices bacon

     1 3-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
     1/3 cup half and half (or milk)
     3 eggs
     1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
     1/2 cup grated cheddar (gruyere works well, too)
     1/4 cup grated Parmesan
     4 to 6 green onion ends, thinly sliced (1/2 cup finely diced red or white
     onion or shallots work as well)
     1/4 teaspoon salt
     1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions
     Cook crust about 10 minutes until slightly golden at about 400°.      

     Cook bacon and crumble into small pieces.
     Raise oven temperature to 425° once crusts are done.  
     Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth.
     Gradually beat in half and half and eggs.
     Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared crust.
     Bake until the filling is set, about 25 minutes. 
     Cool 10 minutes before serving.
Since this recipe only makes 1 quiche, we usually double it so we have enough to fill Casey’s hollow leg 🙂

Apple Crisp Recipe

I tried making this dessert the other day and it was too yummy not to share!

Ingredients

10 cups baking apples (like fuji or pink lady), peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup water

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).

Place the sliced apples in a 9×13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.

Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.

Yields 1 – 9×13 inch pan.

The Evolution of a Custom Painting

Over the holiday season I was contacted by a woman who came across one of my paintings in my Etsy shop that she absolutely loved. She asked if I would be willing to make her a custom painting of an image she had in her head. So after many emails, sketch designs, and revisions later, I have finally created the painting she had been dreaming up.

It was a whole new experience trying to paint something so exact while having to follow someone else’s directions, paint choices, and style. The process took WAY longer than anticipated, but in the end, it turned out just how she wanted and that makes me SO happy.

Here are just a few of the sketches I made in Photoshop during the process of trying to turn her changing descriptions into images:

And here is how the final painting turned out:

“Autumn in New York”

24 x 30 acrylic on canvas

A New York cityscape towers over trees in the park. The metallic silver background reflects beautifully in the light. Sun rays peak through the clouds after the rain has stopped. The circular lollipop-like trees glisten with gold and are accented with red berries. The wavy grass almost dances as it blows in the wind. A true contrast of industry and nature.

He Loves Me.

It’s raining love!

To my other half-

Thank you for posing in pictures all the time for me. Thank you for being patient with me when I am trying to figure out what to buy in a store. Thank you for telling me I look cute. Thank you for teaching me new things-or old things over again. Thank you for taking care of me when I am sick. Thank you for calming me down when I am stressed. Thank you for going on adventures with me. Thank you for cooking with me. Thank you for always listening to me. You are the best ever and I love you.

xoxo,
Me 
 Happy Valentine’s Day!

A Fun Sunday

Casey had been pretty sick and bed bound for the last few days, but today he felt MUCH better and had an appetite again. So today he and I spent some much needed fun time together. Here is a peak at our day!

Our yummy lunch date

I was ecstatic to catch this little guy on our hike!

We made meatloaf and rice together for my family dinner.
While it cooked, Casey flew his helicopter around.
I am SO glad he is feeling better 🙂

10 Random Facts About Me

1. Unread email messages give me anxiety.

2. At night, I like to sleep on top of the bed’s comforter with a blanket.

3. A lot of my daydreams consist of me thinking up ideas for new paintings.

4. I can do a pretty decent job at cutting boys, girls, and dogs’ hair.

5. I am saving up to get an Ipod Touch!

6. I hardly ever use conditioner on my hair.

7. I go on a walk almost everyday.

8. I am slightly allergic to cantaloupe, watermelon, and avocados-but I eat them anyway.

9. I have a freckle in my left eye.

10. I can’t kill spiders-I take them outside and let them go.

What are some random facts about you?!

Adventures in British Columbia

For about a week, I worked with my Dad on his house up in Trail, British Columbia. It was the first time I’ve ever been out of the country, and it was a blast! Canada is super awesome. I can’t wait to go back!

We had to fly into Spokane, Washington and then drive 2-3 hours North to get to Trail. Spokane was not really my favorite place ever.

We found out from my Dad’s property manager that the electricity wasn’t on, and there was no heat in the house, so we stayed the night in Spokane while we waited for that stuff to get turned on.

Heading to Canada, things got a lot prettier outside Spokane.













Made it to Trail!

The front room.

It was a *little* cold in the house, and we found out that the furnace was broken beyond repair.

The view of the Columbia River from the back balcony was pretty awesome though.

The kitchen was where we ended up sleeping–with the oven on and its door open to keep us warm. We drywalled and painted the ceiling in here.

The living room. Drywalled and painted the ceiling in here as well, plus did some patching around the fireplace. Painted the walls.

The little hallway. Painted the walls, doors, and ceiling in here.

The bathroom. When we got to the house initially, we discovered that no one had drained the toilet or put antifreeze in it, so the ceramic cracked and covered the floor with water, wrecking the linoleum and causing it to leak into the basement. So we put in a brand new toilet and new tiles for the floor. Someone had started a project tiling the shower, but hadn’t finished it, so we tore out those and put new ones in there as well.

The front bedroom. Painted the walls and ceiling in here.

The back bedroom. Painted the walls and ceiling in here as well. Notice the refrigerator on the balcony outside the window. Not really sure where that came from or why it was there.

We accomplished everything we started, but as you can tell from the leaning chimney and the chimney you can see through, the house still needs some work.

Working sucks, let’s go skiing! Here’s me skiing for the very first time!

We decided to head to the top of the mountain.

The very top! Behind me are some big maps of all the runs.

Rino’s Run.

Skiing is awesome!

Time to head home.

Back in Washington.

Back home with my cutie in Santa Barbara!