Month: April 2017

The Colors of Spring

/ Jodi / 57 Comments

The Colors of Spring.

Tulips in Apricot…

and Crimson…

and bright, sunny Yellow.

Daffodils and Hyacinths in soft pastels of Coral and White.

A strikingly perfect Purple Delphinium.

Azaleas in bursts of Orange.

And the delicate Pink of this flower I do not know the name of that I call the snake flower.

Just a few of the beautiful colors of Spring soaked in at a brief stroll through the last days of the Spring Flower Show at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA this past weekend.

Such a sight for sore winter eyes.

Happy Spring!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

The Gift

/ Jodi / 35 Comments

A sweet little Momma
surprised me with this little plant.

A Lavender Plant!!
With a special secret note.

She always pays such attention
and remembers the littlest things.

A thank you gift?
Not sure who is thanking who.

For the honor of spending Fridays
with a sweet little granddaughter.

If only she knew….
I would pay her for the privilege!

SSSHHH!
Don’t tell her!

Love you Colleen!
When I grow up, I want to be just like you!

Cheers & Hugs,
Mom M.

 

Buckeye Balls

/ Jodi / 47 Comments

Buckeye Balls.

Calling all chocolate and peanut butter lovers!  Another must-have “staple” at any Pittsburgh wedding cookie table is the Buckeye Ball!

These delectable little creamy peanut butter delights coated in dark chocolate are called Buckeye Balls because they look like Buckeye nuts and originated in Ohio – the Buckeye state.

Simple, but absolutely delish, this is cookie #9 on my wedding cookie table list.   The freezer is filling up fast, and the wedding date is closing in on us!  Cookie baking continues.

Here’s the recipe.  Hope you will give them a try.

Buckeye Balls

  • Servings: approx. 6 doz.
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 lb. dark chocolate, melted

Directions:

Mix peanut butter and butter in a bowl with wooden spoon until creamy.  Blend in vanilla.  Add powdered sugar, and stir until incorporated and a stiff mixture forms.

Roll teaspoon-sized pieces into balls, and place on wax paper lined cookie sheet or cutting board.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Melt chocolate in narrow deep container in microwave for 1 minute and then at 30 second intervals until smooth.  Using a wooden skewer, dip balls into chocolate all but for a bit at top.  Place on waxed paper lined cookie sheet.  Allow to cool completely and chocolate to harden.  Smooth over hole created by skewer with a small spatula or your clean finger.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Wedding Cookie List Baking so far:

  1. Jodi’s Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
  2. Hershey Kiss Brownie Bites
  3. Pecan Tassies
  4. Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
  5. Pecan Sandies
  6. Carrot Cake Thumbprints
  7. Raspberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
  8. Apricot Kolaches
  9. Buckeye Balls

 

 

 

Bleeding Heart

/ Jodi / 44 Comments

Bleeding Heart.

Each year when you* bloom –
my favorite flower of all –
you gift me with the pause to remember
the life to celebrate,
the grandma to honor,
the sweet memories to cherish.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*This bleeding heart plant is over 25 years old and has lived and thrived at two different homes for me.  It was a gift from my grandma that will move with me wherever I live.  It is just one of several sweet special “things” I cherish because they were a part of her that lives on with me.  Love you Grandma!  It’s Springtime – one of your faves!

Happy Easter!

/ Jodi / 39 Comments
Loose Pastel Pink & Purple Watercolor Tulips - 8x10 140 lb cold press

Loose Pastel Pink & Purple Watercolor Tulips – 8×10 140 lb cold press

Happy Easter!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Those days…

/ Jodi / 44 Comments


Those days…

Sun shiny,
cerulean blue skies,
buds bursting,
warm earth,
soft green grass.

When you just have to
lay down
and look up
and breathe in
slow and deep.

Then exhale
just as slowly…
relaxing,
feeling gratitude,
and cherishing the moments.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Raspberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

/ Jodi / 54 Comments

Raspberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies.

Is anything more divine than tart, sweet raspberry and velvety, dark chocolate?

Then combine it with a flaky, buttery shortbread cookie?!

Heaven in a bite – right?!

These little gems are the most recent cookie baking project for the wedding cookie table.

I think you might want to make some of these too!

Raspberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 cup raspberry jam
  • 16 oz. dark chocolate, melted

Directions:

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until creamy with electric mixer.  Gradually add flour and combine until dough forms.

Refrigerate dough at least 2 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll dough into 3/4″ balls.  Place on baking stone about an inch apart.  Press small indentation in center of dough with your finger.  Place a 1/4 tsp. raspberry jam in indentation.

Bake for approximately 12 minutes until lightly browned on edges.  Let cool 5-10 minutes on baking stone, the remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, melt chocolate and spoon into plastic bag.  Snip corner and drizzle on top of cookies.  

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Easter & Spring Carrot Vegetable Tray

/ Jodi / 30 Comments

Easter & Spring Carrot Vegetable Tray.

It’s not always that hard to be creative and fun with your food for holidays and special occasions.

For our Easter celebration this year, I made a veggie tray in the shape of a carrot with carrots and other vegetables.  A meat serving platter is a great shaped tray for creating this “design.”

We dipped our veggies in hummus.

You could also make a ranch or dill or spinach dip or whatever you like, but have fun with your food and make it a little festive with quick and easy simple touches like this!

My favorite is the sugar snap peas.  What is your favorite crudite?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

23 Ways to Spend your Tax Return that can Make you Happy and the World a Better Place

/ Jodi / 41 Comments

23 Ways to Spend your Tax Return that can Make you Happy and the World a Better Place

My Money Cake was featured in a recent issue of Upworthy as one of the ways to spend your tax return that can make you happy and the world a better place.

Are you getting a refund?  Hope so!  And if you do, how do you plan on spending it?

Wouldn’t it be fun to make this money cake and give it to someone in need as a surprise?  So much more fun and creative than simply writing a check.

Check out Upworthy’s great list of ideas.  There are really some great ones that I plan to do.

How about:

  • Buy individual sets of flowers and visit a senior center to pass them out.
  • Find a cool and important project helping teachers and students on DonorsChoose.
  • Donate to a local nonprofit helping your own community.
  • Pay it forward in the drive-thru or grocery store line.
  • Buy new socks and feminine hygiene products to give to a homeless shelter.
  • Donate to Meals on Wheels, then grab a friend and volunteer.

It was such an honor to be featured in this great Upworthy article.  Thank you for reaching out Michael Calcagno.

If you haven’t heard about Upworthy, you should check it out.  Their mission is to change what the world pays attention to by featuring great stories about important issues to connect us and sometimes even change the world.  Because “we’re all part of the same story.”

Thanks for being part of my little story here at the creative life in between.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Potted Blue Lavender in Watercolor

/ Jodi / 25 Comments
Potted Blue Lavender in Watercolor - 8x10" - Fabriano 140lb Cold Press

Potted Blue Lavender in Watercolor – 8×10″ – Fabriano 140lb Cold Press

Potted Blue Lavender in Watercolor.

Oh what fun I had splashing this blue – Cerulean, French Ultramarine, and a splash of Red for some violet tint.

This painting was inspired by one of my favorite watercolor artists, Andrew Geeson.  I love Andrew’s loose style and his fun Youtube tutorials.  I like to watch him do it, and then walk away and try to create it in my own way.  Mine usually look quite different, but that is the beauty of everyone’s personal style.

I love the smell of lavender!  For my soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Liz’s bridal shower, her sister made favors for everyone of lavender sugar scrub.  I use it almost every day!  She made it from coconut oil, sugar, and lavender essence.  It is so heavenly to rub between the palms and fingers of my hands and on my feet, making everything so much softer and smelling beautiful.

Lavender can also be used in gourmet cooking.  I’m excited to try a recipe one of Liz’s aunts has made for the wedding cookie table.  She made earl grey tea bread with lavender butter!  Doesn’t that sound amazing?!

So no wonder I am thinking of lavender.  I think I will look into buying a lavender plant and seeing how well it does in my little corner of the world.

In the meantime, I thoroughly enjoyed painting lavender in watercolor with a short little half hour break at life in between.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi