Rustico Olive Bread – Baked, Sliced, and Ready to Devour
(adapted from the New York Times No-Knead Bread Recipe)
I’ve been making the Simple Bread Recipe for months now, and wanted to try some new versions. I made this Rustic Olive Bread last weekend, and it came out fantastic! Here’s the recipe:
Easiest. Bread. Ever.
(adapted from New York Times No-Knead Bread Recipe)
When I first saw this recipe, I was skeptical. No kneading? Seriously? But it’s true. It’s simple, easy, and delicious. Not to mention, costs about .50 a loaf* The same loaf at Whole Foods would cost you about $4.50. Make it, and you’ll look like a hero…
Picture credit http://www.bonappetit.com/
Did you know the most popular tequila drink in Mexico is NOT the Margarita but the Paloma? The Paloma (Spanish for “dove”, thank you Wikipedia) is a tequila-based cocktail, usually prepared by mixing tequila with a grapefruit-flavored soda and served on the rocks with a lime wedge…
Click for a downloadable recipe PDF
Make your Own Bagels? Yes You Can!
It’s easier than you think, cheap as hell (about $1 a batch) and tastier than any bagels you can buy. Here’s how:
Happy Easter! Funky Glamor Easter Centerpiece…
With the “Use-What-You’ve-Got” mentality, I gathered together some odd craft supplies I had lying around and created one of the funkiest Easter Centerpieces I’ve ever seen (If you’ve seen funkier, show me! I’d love to see it) Faux fur scraps, feathers, and rhinestones on beet-dyed eggs arranged in my vintage polka-dot bowl. I hope it sparks you to be creative with whatever crafty bits you have lying around the house…
This is the first time I’ve ever dyed eggs with beets. First off, fair warning. It WILL dye your hands, (though it wears off pretty quickly) so wear gloves unless pink fingers are your thing.
1. Hard boil the eggs. I used this method http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/eggsdairy/r/Hard-Boiled-Eggs.htm and it worked perfectly, no cracks or issues. Let them cool.
2. Cook up your beets. I used the recipe for beets on this page: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/how-to-dye-easter-eggs-naturally-without-a-box-onion-skins-beets-cabbage.html Of course, I used the boiled beets, which are now pickling in the fridge. (if you’re not into natural, just use Paas dye or food coloring. I won’t tell anyone.)
3. Dye your eggs. The longer you leave them in the juice, the darker they will be, just be sure and stir them around from time to time while they’re in there. Place them on paper towels (or a rag you don’t turning pink) to dry. I tried to get fancy with it by creating stripes. It is subtle but it worked. I just held the egg steady in the beet juice at one level, let it dry, then at another level, let it dry, and so on. NOTE: At first I tried to use beet juice from a can of beets. Epic Fail. Just made a mess. Don’t do it.
Decorating the eggs
1. After letting the eggs dry thoroughly, it was time to get funky. First I gathered all my goodies. I chose to use a sheet of David Tutera self-stick rhinestones on the eggs. This was very easy. I just cut them into strips, peeled off the back and stuck them on. Even eggs deserve some glitz. I must say I’m digging the sticky rhinestones, so many uses! I was lucky enough to get these in a gift bag, but you can find them at Joanne, Hobby Lobby, Micheal’s, and many places online such as Amazon. I plan to reuse the ones on the eggs after we eat them.
(the eggs that is, not the rhinestones)
2. Arrange the display. I choose to use a cute vintage polka-dot bowl that usually sits on my kitchen counter. I put a white faux fur scrap in first, being sure to tuck all the edges under, then added a string of coque feathers tucked in around the fur, and then added the guinea feathers outside the coque feathers. (I keep a bunch of miscellaneous feathers around for decorating projects. They’re great to add to flower arrangements, just alone in a vase, in centerpieces, etc.) Lastly, the eggs went in the bowl on top of the faux fur, and I set the bowl on top of another faux fur scrap. That’s it! Quick, easy, and well, a little weird I know, but it suits my personality. Everything I used (except the eggs of course) can be reused again. The only things I bought were the beets and the eggs, which will all happily be eaten.
I hope you’ll be inspired to get funky and think outside the Easter box with your project. I’d love to see your funky creations! Please share them in the comments section below. Happy Easter!
Here I am looking fit (and rather silly) on my Burning Man vacation last year, after P90X, before all hell broke loose…
I have a confession to make. Right now, I am feeling slightly less than fabulous. Like so many women, I’ve been fighting that old “Battle of the Bulge” all my life, gaining and losing the same 20 pounds over and over. While my closet is full of fabulous clothes, they range in sizes from 6-10. Today finds me on the high side and back in the 10s. I want my 6s back. I was doing so very well last year. I’d completed both Insanity and P90X, was down on the small side of the closet and feeling great for my August vacation to Burning Man. Then upon returning, all hell broke loose, emotionally speaking. Financial stress hit hard. My father went into the hospital, then passed away. A couple months later my Mom got very sick and was in and out of the hospital as well. (she’s doing better now). Through it all, I let my workout routine go to hell, and ate for comfort. Today I begin the official journey back to feeling fabulous. Eating for health, working out 4-5 days a week, and adding more physical activity to my days. I will be sharing my journey with you here, and you have my permission to hold me accountable. I’ll be posting all sorts of helpful tips & tricks as well. I’ll tell you what’s working for me, and what isn’t. So come follow along, it’s going to be an interesting ride…
PS No matter what your weight, you still have the right to look great! Dress well and work it, no matter your size, because you ARE fabulous.
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I can’t remember the last time I paid retail…I am obsessed with “the Deal”. There is absolutely no reason you have to spend a ton to look good. In upcoming posts I’ll share all my little cheap-ass spending secrets with you, and I will honestly say where I get it and how much it cost. Here’s a couple brief examples:
Just running out to do errands? No excuse to look shlumpy. (whenever a see a lovely lady in faded jeans, dirty tennis shoes and a grubby tee-shirt I want to grab her by the shoulders and scream “You deserve to look better than this!”) It only takes a minute for a quick, put-together yet comfy look. Here’s one of my fast & fabulous errand-runner looks, and what it cost me…
This is what I wore last Friday night out gallery-hopping. A fun, comfortable yet fashionable look. Here I am shopping at the Mona Lucero Boutique, a great local fashion designer. (I don’t remember what she said, but it must have been funny…)
There’s loads more to come, don’t miss out! Subscribe to the blog.
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What is “the Year of Living Fabulously”?
“Quaintrelle”…According to Wikipedia, A quaintrelle is a woman who emphasizes a life of passion expressed through personal style, leisurely pastimes, charm, and cultivation of life’s pleasures. This blog is for you, my fellow Quaintrelle.
In this blog, I’m sharing with you of all that I’ve learned about having the very best for the very least. You see, I have a disease. Call it “Affluenza” or “Designer-itis”. I’m in love with the best of everything in life: designer clothes, fine dining, beautiful living and lavish experience. Unfortunately for my bank account, I have chosen a profession that is not exactly known for 6-figure incomes; I am an artist. Not willing to compromise on living the high life, I’ve spent many years figuring out how to work the system; How to get the very best for much, much less, usually for pennies on the dollar. It is possible, and I’m going to show you all I’ve learned. You are about to reap the rewards of all my hard work and research.
Consider me your fine-living guide; sort of a Hipper, Funky Martha Stewart. Over the weeks, months, and hopefully years to come, I’ll be sharing my secrets with you, including many topics such as: How to find the Good Stuff at Thrift stores and Yard sales; how to “Work the System” at the designer outlets such as Neiman Marcus Last Call & Off 5th; getting the best of the Groupons (& other luxury social-coupon sites); the Art of the Barter,: using Ebay to make Cash and fund your Designer Addiction; at-home Beauty Secrets for Pennies: posh D-I-Y Decorating Ideas: the “Find of the Week” & “Tips & Tricks”; Time-saving Shopping Tips, and much more. (There will be special local secrets and tips just for my fellow Denver-ites as well called “Denver-Alerts“. Watch for them!)
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Why “the Year of Living Fabulously”?
As I write this, tomorrow is my 45th birthday. I’ve had a great life, with many ups and downs as I’m sure all of us have. I’ve done very well on my meager earnings, but I’m greedy, I want to do even better. I want the next year to be my best yet, and yours, too. May this be the year of love and laughter, looking & feeling great, fun times with friends and loved ones, surrounded by beauty of all kinds…and the year I finally get that Louis Vuitton bag I’ve had my eye on.
the Year of Living Fabulously 