Rabbits! Getting ready for Easter . . .

On the left corner of the mantle . . . ?

Or in the center . . . ? With the little guy in the middle . . . ?

Or from tall to short . . . ?

Smile . . .

Hmm . . . I think I like the big guy in the middle . . .

. . . for now . . .

I love digital photography!

How far should the tiling extend beyond the bathtub? Do I prefer . . .

Exhibit A . . . ?

Or Exhibit B . . . ?

That's what my husband needed to know ASAP!!! We communicated by e-mail with the help of our trusted little point-and-shoot camera. No time lost waiting for me to get home to give my opinion . . . Isn't this great?

Oh, yes . . . I liked Exhibit B . . . More splash protection!

All dressed up . . . and waiting . . .

We've given the wheat grass a trim, and the inserts have been placed inside the Easter baskets . . .

. . . waiting to be filled with jelly beans and other treats . . .

Impromptu Chicken

I almost ordered a pizza tonight. Both, my husband and I, worked hard around the house today and were pretty tired. Then I remembered I had some chicken in the fridge and decided to make Impromptu Chicken - a super easy recipe with only one iron-clad rule: Anything goes! Here's the recipe (well, here's today's recipe):

Start out with some boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. Cut each piece in half, and flatten them a bit with a mallot so that they'll cook evenly . . . or skip this step if you don't feel like it. I certainly didn't feel like it. Place them in a large pot with some extra virgin olive oil . . .

Add some garlic, fresh is better, but today I used garlic powder. Add whatever herbs and spices you like . . . Today I used Herbes de Provence because it's been in the pantry for a while and I wanted to get rid of the bottle . . . Add some salt and pepper . . .

Brown over medium heat on both sides. Add veggies, if you like. Today I added baby carrots that were leftover from John's birthday lunch last Sunday . . .

Cover and cook over very low heat for about 10 minutes. You want the chicken to steam and cook in its own juices and olive oil. Remove the chicken from the pot, raise the heat and continue cooking the carrots until tender and caramelized, about 3 minutes. I added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes that I discovered in the back of the pantry (I think we got it for Christmas in a gourmet food basket).

It was becoming apparent that the chicken wanted to go Italian today, so I also added some fennel seeds and put a second pot with water on the stove to cook some pasta. Place the chicken back in the pot and cook another minute or so . . .

Barilla Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti is so delicious your family won't believe it's also good for them. Top with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (I use Romano, it's a family thing). That's it! The entire meal was done in just under 30 minutes . . .

I'm basking in the glory of all the compliments . . . and now I won't feel so guilty about ordering pizza in the middle of the week . . .

Every good cook I know has a unique version of Impromptu Chicken. I'd love to hear yours . . .

Easter grass and hair . . .

The containers are now sitting on the mantle so that light from the skylights can reach them most of the day. Unfortunately, it's been rather overcast the last few days, so every bit of sunlight helps.

This reminds me of my son David's hair when he was a baby . . .

But I have faith that the grass will turn out as well as David's hair did . . .

I need to start thinking about trimming the hair . . . er, I mean, the grass!

Irish Soda Bread

I'm getting a jump start on St. Patrick's Day with this recipe from an old friend.

Fran's Irish Soda Bread

5 C. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 C. granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. salt
½ C. unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten
2½ C. buttermilk
2 C. currants

1. Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
2. Combine dry ingredients set aside
3. With electric mixer, mix wet ingredients one at a time
4. Add dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined
5. Add currants
6. Bake for 45-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
7. When cool wrap in plastic wrap overnight so it remains moist. Yields 2 loaves.

This isn't your typical Irish Soda Bread, it's more like a tea cake, and those currants will explode in your mouth with little bursts of sweetness. By all means, make yourself a cup of green tea to go with it! (Get it? Green tea?)

Erin Go Bragh!

Family, food and birthday brownies!

We had a birthday luncheon today for my son, John, who turned 21 last week. My brother and his family came over to spend a little time with him before he goes back to school tonight. So we had a little food . . . O.K. we had a lot of food - including enough potato salad to feed a small army . . .

Some family stories and photos were shared . . .

There's my nephew, Kevin, sporting his newly acquired sling for a torn ligament . . .

And birthday brownies! John doesn't like cake, poor thing, so I baked him some brownies instead.

The "21" flag was a last minute inspiration carried out with a little help from Visio and a wooden skewer.

The lovely dessert stand was a Christmas present from my friend, Julie, and has elevated this homey dessert to new heights . . . (hee, hee, hee!)

See those rabbits on the shelf in the background? I've moved them all over the house trying to keep them out of camera shot until it gets closer to Easter, but the darn rabbits won't stay hidden! Today, I think they just couldn't resist the veggies . . .

Easter Grass - Progress Report

It's time to remove the plastic wrap that's been protecting the wheat berries and keeping them moist . . .

Ta-da!
I was a bit worried last week. I have planted this grass countless times and it has never failed . . . but then, I never had a virtual audience before . . .

Whew! Now I have something new to worry about: Did I plant the grass too soon?

Simple Pleasures

There are layers of pleasure in this picture. My son's pleasure in drawing on his new easel . . . listening to his iPod . . . freshly squeezed orange juice in his favorite glass close at hand . . .

Oh, yes, then there's me . . . enjoying watching him . . .

Growing Easter Grass

Time to plant the grass for the boys' Easter baskets (O.K., so technically they are no longer “boys” but we still put together Easter baskets for them). Fill basket liners with a couple of inches of potting soil . . .

Cover with wheat berries . . .

Spray the heck out of them with water . . .

Cover with plastic wrap to create a mini-greenhouse . . .

Now keep moist in a sunny spot until the grass begins to sprout . . .

Happy birthday, John!

Today my son, John, turned 21. This was a typical Saturday for us, filled with errands and chores. It was lovely just the same, just because he was here with us. He came home last night on Spring break and filled our home with his usual boundless energy. We went to dinner and stopped at Baskin Robbin on the way home to pick up some of his favorite ice cream - mint chocolate chip. Happy Birthday, Johnny!

His new easel has temporarily found a home in our Family Room, and is displaying his latest self-portrait. I'm told that self-portraits are the bread and butter of budding artists because they are the most accessible of subjects.

David's exercise ball has apparently also taken up residence in our Family Room. I must be mellowing because I don't seem to mind it as much any more . . .