Are you an Heirloom Gardener ? A give away too!

Have you ever heard of .....

D. Landreth Seed Company

 If you garden and you haven't heard of this amazing company please go to their site. They are a small family company who are doing their best to preserve the integrity of seeds in America and keep this company going. This is the oldest seed house in America ! If you don't garden the art work alone on the packets and catalogs are amazing. I love the names of the seeds too and they come with such interesting stories in the catalog.

This will be my third year planting with seeds from them and I absolutely love them. My favorite so far their Nantes Scarlet Carrots . I plant them in early spring and let them sit all summer.You just keep them right in the ground and all through this fall and winter I was digging up fresh carrots!!

Tell me what grows in your garden , leave a comment and you will be eligible for a packet of the Nantes Scarlet carrots and two fun veggie fat quarters by Mary Lake Thompson LTD. for Robert Kaufman

Come on and grow some carrots with me!

Donna

Quick and easy meatless Friday night dinner

I'm all about quick, easy and delicious these days in the kitchen...especially after a huge food holiday like Easter. Here is a great spring meal. It is one of our favorite go to meals on a Friday night.

Saute leeks and onions until soft in olive oil...add zucchini saute until it begins to soften...then add peas, salt and pepper

 Add pasta ( cooked al dente) of your choice..

 Add Ricotta cheese and mix.

  Mix in some lemon zest..

  Ever since I was a little girl Maggio is my favorite choice for ricotta cheese. I could eat it by the spoonful.

Top with a grating of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese...

Measurements ...I really didnt use any..I just started pulling whatever out of the fridge... Its how I roll!! One tip definitely use more veggies than pasta. If it helps I used 2 leeks 2 zucchini 1 sweet onion 1 half a bag of peas 7 oz of cheese 1 tsp lemon zest 1 pound of small pasta used leftover boxes of ditalini and wagon wheels.

Other news...

I am going to have a giveaway next week ..I'll give you a hint ...I cam across some great fabric finds!

so check back.

Blooms...

they are all starting to come out ...but the best happened inside this week

 Enjoy your weekend!

Donna

A quick and easy crochet pattern

Well Sweet Sebastian is on his way to visit his East coast family next week..I can not wait and I finished the top of his blanket..I actually finished a while ago but Easter preparations got in the way! Take a look and checkout the quick tutorial at the end.

 

I adore these colors!!

 

Here is the tutorial.

So first you chain 8 and join with a slip stitch then Double crochet 16 in the ch 8 loop Fig. 1. Now join together.

fig. 1

Now ch 3 serves as a/first Double crochet (dc) ...now 2 dc in the the dc below this makes first shell (3dc in same stitch). Now Ch 2, skip 1, 3 dc in next stitch around join with slip stitch . fig 2 you should have 8 shells now

fig.2

 Now to make the Granny square round ..Ch 5 (serves as first dc and ch 2), 3 Dc in ch 2 space from previous round (serves as first corner. Ch 2, 3 dc in next Ch 2 space. Now work second corner , Ch 2, 3 Dc in next Ch 2 space , ch 2 3 Dc in same space ch 2  . Repeat around until you get to first corner.  2 Dc in first corner and join to the 3 rd Ch of the beginning chain 5. fig.3   Now your first square is complete.

fig. 3

 Now all you do is keep going from hear on out and make it to the size of your desire! If you like to switch colors do it at the beginning of each square before you make that initial ch 5 . When I reached my desired size I added a border of double crocheting in each stitch . Then I experimented with a new stitch for the border. Anything goes. I will add the border stitch on the next post.

Now the big ? 

Original plan was to back it with a fabric ..Hmmm. I kind of like the drape of it without.

Onto other happenings...guess who showed up in my yard yesterday!

Hello Mr. Blue bird

 And my daughter got a job at a French Bakery ...This is no good!!! ;-)

Cappuccino with Earl Gray macaroon...Delicious

I see a bad(wonderful)habit forming !!

Have a wonderful day !

Donna

Easter Traditons and Recipe

I know I am a bit behind but we got attacked by that Cyber-bug a week and a half ago !!! We are still not up and running at 100% and still  may need a new computer ...and a new car, (I've been car less for a week and I kind of like it!) ...and my daughters mouth surgery ...oh well it never ends but such is life and I will take it happily. 

Ok back on point ..take a peak of the latest happenings..

Blooms in the snowy window the week before Easter

Begonias 

2013 pot holder swap Flickr

Vintage Japanese tea cup

The Egg Artists

My familiy's traditional Easter Ham pie

The hunt begins

She wouldnt pick up the egg that was near the deer droppings..my oldest was a bugger this year when he hid the eggs. 

He found the Golden egg

Ohh My Precious....just like Lord of the Rings

Kissing his egg 

My two oldest, my goddaughter, and my youngest

Look at those faces

Love my Cappucino 

My Easter Ricotta pie 

My vintage English dishware...these are my favorites, got the whole set for $10.

My Vintage Egg dish

The finished eggs, the 5 yr old was in charge

Blooms from my sister


Well it was a wondeful holiday. My little one is just at that perfect age for enjoying the holidays.

As for my pies I believe these were my best yet. The crust were the flakiest they have ever been and the fillings were just perfect. I spent three days baking and these pies were only the tip of the iceberg. I start on HolyThursday and don't stop until Easter. My kids love to watch me, yes WATCH me bake for days . Its all part of their tradition and every year they get more nad more involved. example my oldest putting in his two cents "ughh Mom you ar going to make peanut butter and cocount eggs right?" you just can't say no...can you? Come on have you seen his big brown eyes?!

There were peanut butter, coconut, and buttercream eggs, Italian easter bread and Italian anise cookies as well. Each child has their favorite.

I know the holiday has passed but I am going to include the Ricotta pie recipe as it is very light and is a great dessert in the spring .

Italian Riotta Pie ...or as my family calls it Sweet cheese pie

For the dough ( Pasta Frolla) makes 2- 8 inch tarts/crust
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar ( I used pure cane sugar not white sugar)
pinch of salt
1 3/4 sticks of butter
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
grated zest of 1 lemon

In a food processor
place flour salt sugar pulse
cut butter into small pieces and add
pulse until mix resemble a coarse meal
mix the eggs with vanilla and lemon juice
with the machine running add the egg mixture until it gathers together
take it out and knead it until it no longer sticky and chill for an hour or so

For the filling..makes 2 to 3 pies depending on pie pan size

3 pounds impastata ricotta ( this is a ricotta used for baking but you can still use regular Ricotta)
1 container mascrapone cheese ( either 1 large conatiner or 2 small)
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar ..according to your liking of sweetness
6 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp fiori di sicilia ( i get mine from King Arthur Flour)
orange or lemon zest
pinch of salt

mix all together in a mixer until well blended
roll the dough into pie pan
fill with the ricotta mixture
bake at 350 degrees Farhenheight for about 50 min or until set

*Fioir di Sicilia is an Italian extract that is basically an orange and vanilla extracts together, may also be called 1,000 blossom water. It is truly amazing

ENJOY!!


Hope you are all starting to enjoy some spring weather and had a wonderful holiday as well!  What are your holiday traditions?


Peace and love to all,
Donna

Spring and Sweet Sebastian

Well what can we say about spring ? It brings renewal and rebirth after the long winter  months

It brings brighter days and sprouting beauty.

In our family it's brought Sweet Sebastian !!!! My brother Carlo and his beautiful wife Jen gave birth to their beautiful boy Sebastian Don  on March 19 . This is quite significant for our family as Seb as he will be called ( we are very big on nicknames in this family ! I've already came up with Sebalicious, Seabaru, and Seababdebadoo, you get the point!) was born on our late fathers birthday. Seb will now carry on our family name as my brother was the last male in our family to hold the name Travarelli ! We Italians are very big on our names and heritage !!

Carlo, Jen and their sweet baby boy

 Now I can't let my baby brother go without some ribbing from his big sister , If you remember I think I mentioned that he is the youngest of four and the only boy, so he is the know as the GOLDEN CHILD ! What does he go and do, he had to have a baby boy on our dads birthday !!!! What does that make him know PLATNIUM!!! Show off ;-) !!!

 Let me explain a bit if you have the time about how Golden he is to our elder relatives...my father's Aunt Jenny never had children, so we were like her grand kids. My mother and my sisters and I spent a lot of time being with her and caring for her in her later years. My brother went off to Utah to become a professional skier and wasn't around as she got older. She died a few years ago at 90ish . In a letter she left for us about details for her funeral she stated that "before my casket is closed please have Carlo place my green wool coat over me and shut the casket " REALLY ..not that I would of wanted the job!!! When my grandfather died this same aunt gave me a box of his belongings ( he suffered from Alzheimer's and again me and mother cared for him in our home and while skier boy was jumping off mountains..really I am not bitter at all ;-) and said "here these are for your brother, hold them for him" 

 Oh well what is an Italian girl to do! This is all said in good fun ...they make great family stories!!

Back to sweet Seb I am moving along on his blanket . I have to admit I kinda wanted "Seb" to be a "Red"  (for red riding hood, that's what I was gong to call the baby if it was a girl) . Girls are so much fun to crochet for and being that my last kiddo was a boy I was hoping !

I was trying to capture the sun dancing on my projects on the first day of spring

Pot holder for the Flickr 2013 pot holder swap

Seb's crocheted blanket is inspired by the whole"Mori" girl style ..I know I know... I need to let the girl thing go, but that it's style is inspired by the woodlands and forest. We are a very outdoorsy family.

The colors remind me of the forest and I just love the mossy green ..I did a granny square as its base and will add an edging. I am going to back it with fabric . I will put the pattern up as well. It is a quick and easy pattern. It will make a nice stroller blanket.

I am also working in my pot holders for the 2013 pot holder swap on Flickr . They are very spring inspired as I gave them a clover shape . Again so quick and easy and fun...I am thinking of making a garland with the leftovers.

Spring is here, though it doesn't feel like it here in Nj. We are supposed to get snow tomorrow!!  I hope it does come soon ..until then I will bask in the light of Sweet Sweet Sebastian.

I can not wait to cover his face with kisses!!

This was supposed to be posted on Thursday, but our computer has been down all weekend...so i hope you weekend was full of light love and beauty!

Have a great week,

Donna

A yogic point of view, what your creatives say about you

I spent 3 hours the other working to create a new pattern, a complete bust and frustrating. That I wasted all that time and that nothing came of it drove me "cra cra" (crazy) as my girls would say! Thinking I knew exactly where I was going to end up in the creation.

...Or was time wasted and did something come of it...? Hmm.

Then I took a look at some of my finished projects and I realized something ...how symmetrical they all are . They are all very balanced,  you would think I had a background in Engineering like my hubby! I realized that may be part of my problem.

See pretty ...but balanced

...then I started thinking on a yogic point of view. Let's dissect...I am a Sagittarius, creative, passionate and adventurous etc, and I am these to a degree... as long as both feet are planted firmly on the ground. REALLLLY planted !!!! Like concrete shoes at times!

  Now look at the 5 elements of nature, Earth, Air, Fire,Water,and Ether/Space. These elements of nature sometimes become unbalanced in us. I see where I become unbalanced within these elements . The symmetry of my designs coincides with the earth element (ground) and fire (control), being too balanced and both feet firmly on the ground afraid to let go, needing to be in complete control. This is where my earth and fire element are obstructed. I am too grounded and need to know exactly at times where I am going . . Afraid to let go and fly and get in touch with my air element (to be continuous) or just sit in spaciousness(ether/space) not knowing when or where or how or if I will land . These elements tend to be out of reach for me at times.  I see where this holds me back. 

 What has caused the obstructed earth/fire element. I believe the sudden death of my father in my teens, becoming a mother at 19, divorce at 27, a new family etc .. It has just made me play it all too safe and rightfully so. However it creeps into other aspects of life without you knowing it ..I see its shadow places now ( after many years of studying yoga psychology and counseling).

 For it to show up in my crafting and creating WOW! How did I realize this ..well in the shower .. Yup here comes the water element (clarity). When balanced, the water element  refreshes, washing away residues that accumulate over a lifetime and brings clarity. SO we can see deeply. I always have my AH HA moments in the shower being in touch with my water element. This is where I realized I am being too safe and structured . I must learn to fly more with my designs,  make more mistakes, you know get a little jiggy with it (channeling my inner Will Smith)! Maybe work and design and not know where it is going to go and being without fear in that.

 Don't get me wrong.. I LOVE my designs and how they come out and I am glad that I tend to be a grounded being. I am so thankful for all the experiences in my life even the difficult ones. I am glad I can figure put where my obstructions are and can now work from this point of view. 

Share with me ...what obstructs you ?

 Here is a project that I am flying by the seat of my pants with ..now I know what your thinking ..it looks like just a granny square!! It will end up being a blanket for my brothers new baby and it will be more than just a granny square ..and I will just sit back and work and just see where it lands!

I adore these colors!!

The little legs will belong to a crocheted dragon form Lalylala pattern on Etsy.

Morning friends this week

After being cooped up all last week with the stomach bug I escaped to a local quilt shop and came home with these.

new from Kate Spain

I love how sweet and soft these are !

YUP,  I have no idea what I am going to do with these either !!! As I look at these pictures as I write this post I see all the balance in the fabrics ...gonna have to shake it up a bit!  

Big love to all,
Donna