Just for you!

Thank you so much for all your Orange Chicken with Brown Rice recipe requests!

The thing I love about this recipe, aside from the fact that it tastes so scrumptious, and your family or guests think you went all out....don't tell them it is soooo easy. Really and truly easy peasy.

Here it is....just for YOU! Feel free to click on the recipe and download it to print.






It really is delicious. Enjoy~

Orange Chicken With Brown Rice

Oh Clementine!

Knock knock.....
who's there?

Orange........
Orange who.......
Orange you gonna come to my kitchen and play?



Whats better than a juicy orange on a hot day?



Guess you could say I'm lovin this color as of late! The kids always ask me: "Momma, whats your absolute, very best, favorite color?"
I always hum and haw and tell them: "well, I don't have just one favorite color....I love all the colors!" It just depends on my mood, what I'm cooking, craving, sewing, cooking, wearing, or painting! There you have it! I know this is never the answer the little ones want to hear.....I've never been hooked on a certain color....but I do admit I go on tangents now and again.........how about orange for instance......it is so cheery.....so versatile......so complimentary.....so juicy!



Like my new mixer, for example! I just love it! My nine year old white, Kitchenaid mixer decided to go kaput, the other day.......it is something I use each and every single day! (and I mean that!) Can't live without it....kinda like my right hand. So lucky me, guess what I got! Yes, I know I feel soo spoiled! SO FORTUNATE! The color is Clementine! I love it!



Made me in the mood for some orange chicken and rice! Oh how very yummy! I will even share my recipe with you, if you insist..........just email me or make a comment and I will send it your way! It is delish! The perfect combination of tangy, sweet oranges, and green, tart olives...and Parmesan cheesy brown rice.



....and just for fun......I thought I'd show you my latest bag! I just love this fun and funky pattern, from Anna Maria Horner's, Seams to Me book.

I had so much fun picking out pretty, pretty fabrics........I might have to make another scrappy bag, because I have oh so many pretty fabrics to choose from.

Random Ramblings

Look what my girlies found blooming on the tree! It was so cute to see them finally realize that the blossoms were not real! They found all the eggs on the ground, and then we had to start hinting that there was something else they had missed during the "egg hunt"......I was really inspired by Ruby's pretty hair clips...if you haven't seen her beauties, you really should check them out! I fashioned these fluffy blossoms after the gorgeous Camelia's we found in the Hagiwara Japanese garden's.



Blue....pink.....which one will you pick?



Felt flowers are sooo fun and easy to make...and they look soooo cute in the hair! Fastened to a cute ponytail or bun....or over tousled locks.



..and some fun eggs hidden quite well amongst the four leaf clovers and yellow flowers....see, I told you it's all random....fun randomness!

Happy Thursday~

Tea time

Come take a little walk with us.................it's going to be one delicious walk! At the end, you will get a yummy recipe for my Japanese Almond Tea Cookies......all Gluten free!



Here we go....through the garden gate...........into the Hagiwara Japanese Tea Gardens, in San Francisco............over the stepping stones, across the little pond with water lilies.......






Breathe in the fresh springtime blossoms! The pink flowery blossoms were falling like snow, all around us.



Pretty pink Camelia flowers blooming.....petals falling like a pink blanket on the ground



Under the sparkly orange pagoda! I am loving the gorgeous painted flowery detailing under the roof of this structure. And the vibrant orange! It is the best!



Such gorgeous detail work!



This was just one little sampling of gorgeousness we got to take in, last week! I could go on and on with the photo flattery of this fine garden, but for now I will leave you with your tea and cookies.


Japanese tea garden inspired:

Almond Tea Cookies (gluten free)

1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup sugar 0r 3/4 cup agave nectar*
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1 1/4 cups brown rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

almonds for putting on top of the cookies

Preheat oven to 345 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, and sugar, until fluffy. Add dry ingredients and mix until blended. The dough should be crumbly when squeezed into a ball. Form the dough into 1 inch in diameter balls. Place them two inches apart on un-greased cookie sheet. Using your finger, press one almond into the center of each cookie. The dough will crack a bit. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the cookies with beaten egg white.
Bake the cookies for 9 minutes. Once cookies come out of the oven, let cool on cookie sheet.

Place on cooling rack.

Makes 36 cookies

*note: if you are using agave nectar for sweetener, you will need to add more brown rice flour to thicken the dough.

~ Enjoy with a steaming hot cup of Jasmine tea! ~




Almond Tea Cookies (gluten-free)

My city by the bay

I am always game for any excuse to head to the city by the bay! San Francisco! This time, the relatives were in town, so off we went. Talk about, gorgeous, sunny, blue skies weather....a bit windy, but still nice!



Up and down the steep hills........



Here we are at the top of Lombard Street........waiting for a cable car to cross.....



I think they had the same idea as everyone else..........lets pause and check out the fantastic view!



The sign says it all!!!!



Rows, upon rows of lovely homes.



I found a jewel climbing on a fence......look at this flowering vine! Gorgeous beyond words. How can it survive amidst this city of concrete?!

Thank you for joining me on this little tour of San Francisco.....next up I will have some photos of the gorgeous Japanese Tea Gardens! I love that place. Another hidden gem in the big city! Time to bake my second loaf of gluten-free zucchini bread. Yum....I tested one batch already this morning and was it ever yummy! So glad the weekend is here. Do you ever feel that way?

Ruffly blossoms & ruffly fabric

Happy, happy springtime weather! Looks like blossoms are popping up all over the place......my sweet friend BariJ has similar trees in her neighborhood....little puffy, popcorn balls. Thats what we call them. So pretty, but I must be honest and tell you that they do stink! Not the best smelling blossoms I've ever sniffed. We used to get the scent of honey, wafting all over the valley, in our last home.



The sky really is that blue!!!!!



Petals at my feet.........



Ruffles on a pretty new bag..........I'm going to put some Chambray denim straps on this bag, to match the Chambray denim piece in the center of the bag.....it's gonna be so frilly and sweet!



A little birdie for spring.......one more cute bag in the works..........



I splurged and treated myself to some new colorful pencils........these are the best! So smooth and buttery to draw with...the colors blend so nicely........



Time to go enjoy the weekend!!!!!!!! I think a family bike ride is in the plans. Fresh air and sunshine~

Lucky Irish Meal

How was your St. Patrick's Day? I started my day off in a rush, and forgot to wear green. Oops......I'm one quarter Irish by blood, so maybe I can be excused, just this once. *wink* *wink*

Parent teacher conferences ..... early dismisal from school, busy, busy, busy schedule......some good friends passing through the area came for the night .....



So, some Irish stew, simmering away on the stove top sounded soooo good!



A pretty apron always helps me feel festive and energized in my kitchen.



And some delicious Irish Soda Bread.......... I am so thrilled to share my latest recipe with my gluten free friends. Do I have any takers? Any of you peeps on a gluten free diet like moi? Here you go........ it's so easy and sooo good! Even if you don't have to avoid wheat, you really should give this bread a try. Be adventureous, and give some other delicious grains a try.

Here it is:

Irish Soda Bread (gluten free)

1 cup sorghum flour
1 ½ cups brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
½ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
2 Tbsp sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 Tbsp butter
1 cup raisins
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Sift together all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dough, and add the buttermilk and egg. (The buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to provide leavening for this quick rising bread.) Mix all ingredients until the dough becomes stiff, or difficult to stir. Knead dough in the bowl, to make a ball shape. If the dough is sticky, add more sorghum flour. Take care to not over knead. Move dough to a lightly floured surface, and shape into a round ball. Move dough to a lightly greased iron skillet. Using a serrated knife, carefully score the top of the dough ball with an “x” shape. Put the bread in the oven to bake, for 30 – 35 minutes, or until golden brown, and knife comes out clean. Please note, if the top of the bread starts to darken too quickly, you can cover the bread lightly with aluminum foil. Please take care when removing the skillet from the hot oven.....the handle will be VERY HOT! Place bread on rack to cool, and serve warm with butter and or honey.