Back Yard Part 1

I have a late start at work today, so I decided to be productive.  I cleaned all the leaves off the deck, got the leaves out of the would be flower beds, and started making landscape and gardening plans.  I feel like every time summer rolls around I am out there working on double time trying to get the yard presentable, so I decided to do what most normal homeowners do and maintain!

I have bigger plans this year besides keeping the grass cut and bushes trimmed back.  I am on a mission to have my vegetable garden I've been talking about year after year.  I have a pretty good size deck and thought I would make the most of it with a potted vegetable garden.  I am so excited.  I am currently planning the vegetables and herbs that I want and figuring out the resources I will need to get before spring.

Wheres George?

Pretty bleak at the moment.

This is where I want to put my compost bin and hopefully pave by next year.

Can't wait to see my backyard this summer!

Luv Elle_Dash

Learning to crochet

So, I have set some goals up for myself this year and I am starting right in on them.  I went out and purchased my crochet needles, yarn and a teach-yourself-how-to-crochet book.  I am really just learning the basics.  I have figured out how to do a slip knot, make a chain, and single crochet.  I am far away from making pretty afghans, and scarfs but I am excited about my journey.

Inspiration Board

etsy.com has a lot of great artists and of course inspiration.

Luv Elle_Dash

Seafood and Pizza Night!

I haven't had much inspiration to cook anything worth sharing for the past week but today I thought I would run into Metropolitan Market to get some. I love that store, they have an amazing cheese section, deli, seafood and crisp, fresh produce.

I ended up picking some Brie cheese, clams, shrimp, cocktail sauce, and arugula. I decided to reinvent some dishes I have previously cooked before with what I already had and the items I purchased above. I made roasted shrimp and cocktail sauce to start and brie cheese pizza topped with pecans and arugula, and clams in a wine tomato broth.

This ended up being a great light dinner!

Yong Tau Fu

This is a favorite dish of mine growing up in Malaysia.  You will not have an easy time finding this dish at your local Chinese restaurant.  There was a lot of time, patience and love put into this pot of soup.  Yong Tau Fu is a Hakka soup dish that is mainly found in southern China and in Southeast Asia.  There are different variances of this dish but the way I made it is the most familiar.  The ingredients usually comprise of but are not limited to chili peppers, eggplant, tofu, okra, fish balls and many more.  All of these vegetables are then stuffed with a seasoned  pork or fish mixture and cooked in a broth.  I hadn't had this in a while so I thought I would make it and share.

Luv Elle_Dash

GOALS

So I have been thinking about my 2010 goals, I felt this year I needed more hobbies, structure and personal enrichment's. Last year I was so busy planning a wedding I didn't get to do the little things that make a soul sigh. It definitely took some reflection to figure some of my goals for 2010 plus. Life gets crazy and I sometimes don't get time to scratch the surface.

1. Grow a successful organic/almost organic vegetable garden. I love the taste of fresh and roasted vegetables. I like to add a hearty dish of vegetables to every meal.
2. Learn how to can foods. I grew up with my grandma canning vegetables and fruit but regrettably never took the time to learn. My goal will also be to learn to to can my grandma's famous bread and butter pickles. I will have to pay her a visit!
3. Learn how to sew,crochet and quilt. I might have bitten more than I can chew with this one but I will try my best.
4. Take cooking classes. I love cooking and creating my own dishes but I would love to get a little formal training. I am going to Malaysia this summer so I will further my skills with Chinese and Malaysian cooking.
5. Be fluent in french. I have officially set my trip to Paris in late spring 2011 with my girlfriends. I am more than excited. I have taken french in the past but this year will be the year that I will make time and extend my self to speak the language.
6. Simplify the objects in my home. We all have so much stuff. At what point is it enough. For me its now. I need to get rid of everything that is out of sight out of mind. Meaning all the junk in boxes, things stuffed in drawers, old clothes.
7. Clean out the garage.
8. Save more Moola!

Luv Elle_Dash

Malaysian Chicken Curry

Hooray! I think finally I have my Auntie Linda's recipe down. I got this recipe almost three years ago when I went to my hometown of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is an easy recipe to follow for most Malaysians but I had a hard time troubleshooting. My aunt comes from a generation where recipes are from memory and measurements are done with a pinch of this and a pinch of that. Granted that is how I do a lot of my cooking but when your trying to get an old family recipe you want to get it just right!

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

Barefoot Contessa has been a big favorite with me this year. I've used a lot of her recipes for dinners with guests and dinners for two. Her recipes are easy to follow and refined enough to show off your skills. My favorite cookbook of hers is "Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics."

I had so much fun with this recipe. The base of the sauce is Cognac, dry white wine and of course garlic. I did count out all 40 cloves. The cloves are whole so they are not pungent as you might think.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-with-forty-cloves-of-garlic-recipe/index.htmlwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-with-forty-cloves-of-garlic-recipe/index.html

Seattle

As I was running errands today with my husband I felt a sudden gratitude for beautiful Seattle. A veil was lifted as some would say. We have the best of everything: amazing landscapes, great culture, and fun eccentric little towns like Fremont. Fremont is such a quirky and eccentric little town with fun business like Home Grown (restaurant with sustainable food, had lunch there today, delicious!), Bellefleur (lingerie boutique, friendly and knowledgeable staff, pretty stuff), Theo Chocolate factory to gasworks park. There really are a vast amount of things to do. I will have to explore, maybe as a tourist.