a cute room...

probably one of my favorite houses from a recent domino magazine. the ruffalo's home is just amazing.

by far, my favorite room was the children's room. i love the jenny lind beds. i'm thinking of getting one for z man's big boy bed he'll need when little sister get's here.

gettin' girly...

can i just say that i am loving the new found girly things i get to look at now?

i came across this darling dress by oh so sassy while browsing etsy today. isn't it darling? it comes in my favorite damask print by joel dewberry. and, it comes in size 6 months to 5T! priced great at $35.

click here to view.

sugar cookies...

so, i did end up getting to make a few cookies for valentines day this year. my first time making sugar cookies!

but, i am still on the search for the perfect recipe for cookie and frosting...
i'd love to hear your favorite recipes!

first things first...

my first order of business for my expected baby girl was to order some lou and lee headbands.

my cute friend ann hand makes each one, and her etsy shop is full of these little lovelies.

check them out here. she also has adult headbands!


p.s. yes, i ordered all of the ones pictured above...

very sweet...

these beautiful images from a field journal are making me happy today. they are from her 21st birthday party.

i'm not sure if i'm more jealous about her darling party, or her cute checkered black and white floors and ice cream parlor chairs.

for more images click here.

ginger carrot soup with caramelized onions...

{photo by me}

i've been eating this soup like crazy this last week with some crusty bread with garlic butter. so good! the flavors of the carrots, ginger, and caramelized onions together is just amazing!

try it! you'll like it.

{ginger carrot soup}

from better homes and gardens

ingredients

2 Tbsp. cooking oil
3 cups thinly sliced onion
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
8 carrots (about 1-1/4 lb.)
1 sweet potato
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half or light cream

directions
1. for caramelized onions, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. add sliced onion, sugar, and pepper; reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring twice. add ginger. cook, uncovered, 20 to 30 minutes more or until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally. divide in half.

2. meanwhile, peel carrots and sweet potato and cut in 1-inch pieces. in large saucepan or dutch oven combine broth, carrots, and sweet potato. bring to boiling; reduce heat. simmer, covered, 40 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. add half of the caramelized onions. puree until nearly smooth with handheld blender or process 2 cups at a time in a food processor. add cream; heat through. season to taste with salt and ground black pepper. top with remaining caramelized onions.

makes 12 (3/4-cup) side-dish servings.

**caramelizing onions bring out their wonderful sweetness.   and, no wonder, because you are actually turning the sugars within the onion to caramel – hence the name. 

caramelizing onions is just cooking them so they brown deeply.  it is very easy to do and results in cooked onions with a dark, sweet, browned flavor.

here are some easy steps to caramelize onions.

1. thinly slice 3 cups of onions.  in a large skillet heat 2 tbsps cooking oil over medium heat.  after oil is heated. add sliced onions, 2 tbsps sugar, and 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper.  reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring twice.

2. remove lid, and continue to cook uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes until desired color is reached.  anywhere from light tan to golden to deep brown.  do not cook past a mahogany color because the onions will be in danger of burning at that point.  transfer to a cool plate so the cooking process stops.

*serve over soups, with hamburgers, on pizza, omelette’s, you name it.

homemade vanilla...

i have been intrigued about the whole making your own vanilla thing. apparently the process can take months, but i am a little curious about the outcome.

well, i came across this great tutorial from kathleen of twig & thistle on style me pretty on how to make your own vanilla. her packaging is beyond cute. and she even has the downloads for her pretty labels.

find it all here.

{photo from style me pretty}

hummus...

{photo by me}

first of all, thank you for all your congrats and such on my last post. you are all so sweet! i'm still wrapping my head around the idea of a girl, but i am getting there.

hummus is a popular food that comes in various local forms throughout the middle eastern world.  it has become more common here in the states, and is now eaten all over the world.

hummus is a dip or a spread usually made from chickpeas [also known as garbanzo beans], blended with various ingredients such as tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic.

it is a very nutritious dish and is a great source of protein, iron, vitamin c, folate, and fiber.  a great replacement for not so healthy chips and dip.

here is a simple and easy recipe for hummus that only takes minutes.  after you make it from scratch once, you’ll never buy it from the store again.

this past week i've been eating hummus like crazy. i just love fresh hummus. seriously, once you make it from scratch, you'll never buy the store bought kind again. and, it's super easy to make. here's the recipe i came up with.. enjoy!

{hummus recipe}

ingredients
1 15 oz can [2 cups] of chickpeas, drained [preferably organic]
1/4 cup tahini [a ground sesame seed mixture, found locally at whole foods]
1 large garlic clove
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper [optional, if you like spicy]
1 tbs plain yogurt
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp ground paprika
1/4 cup water [may need more to reach desired consistency]

garnish
olive oil
paprika
1-2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped

directions

place all ingredients except for garnish in a food processor and blend until smooth, adding more water if needed to reach a desired consistency. taste for spices and adjust as needed. place in a serving bowl and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with paprika and parsley.
serve with a warm pita, pita chips, or vegetables.

great news...

some great news we received today!

z man will have a new baby sister this summer, i'm 20 weeks along!!

still in shock that i am actually having a girl since i was 100% sure it was another boy.

i just can't believe it? i have to get to shopping for some girl stuff, because we have absolutely no girl things in this house. can't wait!

happy valentines day! ...

hope you have a lovely weekend!

xoxo

caroline

{photo by me}

print your own sweet bag...

these brownie heart valentine treats are so cute! and you can also download the graphic to print your own bags from twig & thistle.

click here for instructions.

via design mom

vintage frame chalkboard...

i really want to make one of these chalkboards out of a vintage frame as seen on design sponge. i may already have the perfect frame too. [...or a few of them sitting in my basement]

directions found here.

how to boil an egg ...

it seems that boiling an egg would be second nature to all of us.  but, it comes as a surprise to many of us to learn that when boiling a perfect egg, you actually don’t boil the egg at all.  the key is to remove the eggs from the heat as soon as the cooking water comes to a rolling boil. 

boiling a perfect egg[adapted from may 2006 martha stewart living article]

place eggs in a saucepan that is large enough to accommodate them in a single layer at the bottom of the pan.  fill the pan with COLD water, covering the eggs by 1 inch of water.  bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  once the water is just at a rolling boil, turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for:

• 90 seconds to 2 minutes for soft-boiled eggs
• 1 minute 45 seconds to 2 minutes 15 seconds for medium boiled eggs
• 12 minutes for a perfect hard boiled egg

once the hard boiled egg is cooked, transfer it to a bowl of ice water [this will prevent it from discoloring and will help with the peeling]; let stand for 2 minutes, then crack gently pressing egg against a hard surface. peel under cold, running water.  [*the trick is you MUST peel them right away for an easy peel]  click here for other egg peeling tips.

so, now that you are an expert in all things egg, here is a great recipe for oeufs mimosa.  it is a great recipe from france for their version of deviled eggs.

{oeufs mimosa}

12 hard boiled eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup tuna fish [preferably tuna packed in olive oil]

2 tbs parsley, minced

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbs dijon mustard

1/4 tsp sea salt [or coarse salt]

1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

chopped chives for garnish

directions:

empty egg yolks from eggs and place in a medium bowl.  add remaining ingredients except for chives and mix well making the mixture very smooth.  place in a piping bag, or zip lock bag cutting a hole in the corner and pipe yoke mixture into the egg whites.  garnish with chopped chives.

the look...

loving this look from anthropologie. i love the top, but i love the skinny belt with it even more.

i'm such a fan of belts!

wanna know a secret? i'd say about 99% of my belts [and i probably have like 100 sadly] are from thrift stores. can't be belts for less than $1!

homemade vinaigrette...

{photos by me}

i love homemade vinaigrette.
growing up, my mom always made homemade vinaigrette.
we never had store bought dressing in the house.

last night we had a big french dinner for my dad's birthday party [he's a frenchie].
he specifically requested i make a big platter of vegetables with oeufs mimosa [the french version of deviled eggs, i'll share the recipe later]

[this was just one of the platters..]

i made a little extra vinaigrette for the salad, so i gifted him his own jar of homemade vinaigrette as part of his birthday gift.

here's the recipe if you are interested. the key to making a good vinaigrette i think, is using quality ingredients.

{my favorite vinaigrette}
adapted from this recipe

makes 1 cup [8 ounces]

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard [i prefer maille brand]
1/2 tsp coarse salt [like sea salt]
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar [i like to use powdered sugar because it blends well]
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp walnut oil [found locally at target]

in a small bowl whisk together first five ingredients well. slowly drizzle in oils as you whisk allowing the dressing to emulsify. or combine all in a jar and shake well.

*optional add-ins depending on the salad you are serving: minced shallots, fresh herbs [chives, thyme, basil, parsley], garlic, bleu cheese.

enjoy!

if you want to learn more about making vinaigrette, check out my recent cafe zupas post.
click here.

how to post large photos in blogger...

i get asked a lot how to enlarge your photos in blogger.

well, stephanie has put together a great tutorial. so, check it out here.
it's the simplest/least time consuming way i've found!

{*just a note: you may have to change the layout sizes on your blog to accommodate the larger pictures...}

blog buttons...

i came across these cute buttons you can download for free on oh, hello friend!

i just added one on my sidebar, and used one in my new banner. like it? it took me forever to make..

{click here to get the cute buttons.}

map love...

i came across these cute map heart cards today on etsy by bombus. very cute!

perfect for valentines day.

hearts on a string...

i haven't had a lot of time to put together any time consuming valentines crafts this year. [see last year here + here]

but, i did find these cute little paper hearts in the $1 bin at target, and i already had the mini-clothes pins and bakers twine. so, a minute later i had a little decoration! a few hearts strung on red bakers twine with clothes pins. couldn't be any easier than that..

oh, and if you are wondering where to buy bakers twine. i sell it in my shop. click here.

my wellies...

i'm loving my new green wellies...

i actually have been excited when it's rained lately so i can wear them.. no matter how ridiculous i look.