After the rain
the world is a little softer –
edges blur and drip and shimmer.
After the rain
bright, beautiful reflections are illuminated
through droplets like liquid mirrors.
After the rain
the earth smells of growth
and life and freshness and hope.
After the rain
my heart feels renewed
and cleansed and full of new possibilities.
After the rain.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Oreo Millionaire Shortbread.
WARNING – WARNING – WARNING!
This recipe is ONLY for the most serious chocolate and salted caramel lovers.
Others – please disregard!
One of our friends who we meet up with every Thursday on our John’s Bar date night had a birthday last week.
Friends’ birthdays are always a great excuse for me to bake and try something new.
So for our sweet friend, Donna, I made these amazingly decadent Oreo Millionaire Shortbread cookie bars.
O… M… G!
What could be more indulgent than an Oreo cookie crust layered with homemade salted caramel and then topped with rich, creamy chocolate and sprinkled with additional Oreo crumbs?!?!
I found a recipe at Baking a Mess, but the recipe was in British weights and measures and contained ingredients I was not familiar with (caster sugar and golden syrup). I did a little research into converting grams to cups and substitutes for the ingredients I didn’t have, and came up with this recipe below.
There wasn’t one left Thursday night for Donna to take home. She had generously shared, and they were all devoured.
This is a real treat, but be warned, it is absolutely decadent, so only make when you are absolutely sure you need a luxurious indulgence!
Ingredients:
Base:
Caramel:
Topping:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×9 square baking stone or pan with parchment paper. Finely crush Oreo cookies into crumbs. Reserve 1 cup. Combine remaining crumbs with melted butter and flour in bowl. Pour into parchment lined baking pan and pat firmly. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
On medium-low heat, put the all of the caramel ingredients (except the sea salt flakes) in a heavy saucepan. Allow to boil, reduce and thicken into a golden caramel sauce, stirring occasionally. This takes about 30 minutes. Stir in the sea salt flakes and pour on top of the Oreo base. Refrigerate approximately 2 hours.
Melt chocolate chips in microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Melt an additional 30 seconds. Stir. Pour over caramel layer and spread to cover entire surface. Sprinkle with reserved Oreo crumbs. Refrigerate a few hours before removing from pan by lifting parchment paper.
Cut into 36 squares.
Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A 30th Birthday Money Flower Card.
If you are looking for a creative card and/or gift for a special 30 year old in your life, how about making them a money flower card?
I needed a special card for a very special young lady (my daughter-in-law, Colleen) who turned 30 this past weekend. I was trying to think of something creative like the Happy Birthday Money Cake I made for my son (her hubby!) a few years ago.
For the card, I started with a piece of black (any color will do) poster board cut to approximately 20 inches wide by 10 inches high that I folded in half to form a large card. I also used two pieces of white 8.5 x 11″ card stock, 30 $1 bills and 1 $20 bill, approximately 33 dimensional adhesive dots, Tombow Mono Multi Liquid glue, a small piece of ribbon, and some colorful Sharpie markers.
I rolled all of the dollar bills tightly and adhered the loose end of each with a dimensional adhesive dot to the first piece of white card stock in the shape of a flower. I used the $20 as the flower stem rolling it the long way. I then drew around the flower with colored Sharpie markers, added two leaves with “Happy” written in one and “Birthday” in the other. I drew a big bold “30” in the center of the flower, tied a bow on the stem, and then glued it to the front of the folded poster board using the Tombow glue.
On the inside, I listed 30 things we love about Colleen. (That was the really easy part!)
You could use this for other milestone birthdays too and create different shapes. It might make a fun wedding, anniversary, or graduation card too.
It was really fun and super easy to make, and even more fun to give to her.
Make giving the gift of money fun and creative!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Chinese lantern flower – Phipp’s Conservatory – Spring 2017
So small.
So delicate.
So intricate.
So powerful.
So bright
without a light.
Nature’s symbol
of life’s joy.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
#cherishthemoments
#onebeautifulthingeachday
Easy Skinny Zucchini Pasta Caprese.
I bought a few zucchini recently itching to use my Spiralizer again, and I created this super easy, wicked fast, uber healthy, gloriously delicious lunch that came together in 10 minutes. Seriously!
I spiralized two small/medium zucchini to create the “pasta” and tossed them in a skilled with some minced garlic and a dash of red pepper flakes sizzling in olive oil. After just a few minutes. I tossed in some chopped fresh basil, chopped campari tomatoes, and some grated Parmesan cheese.
After I poured it from the skillet to my bowl, I sprinkled it with some fresh black pepper and flaked sea salt. That’s it!
And it was absolutely amazing! You will seriously question if you are eating fresh pasta! I can’t wait to make it again and again this summer when I am able to pick the fresh produce right from my yard.
Here’s the simple recipe I came up with:
Ingredients:
Directions:
Spiralize zucchini.
Heat olive oil in stir fry skillet. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. After about a minute when oil begins to sizzle around garlic, add zucchini. Cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing every minute or so. Add chopped tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan. Cook and toss for about 2 more minutes.
Pour into bowl or on plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Partly cloudy?
Partly sunny?
Sunshine on a cloudy day…
What could be more divine?
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Do you happen to have A SONG in your head about right now?
One New Beautiful Thing – Along My Daily Walk
One New Beautiful Thing.
As you walk along life’s pathway –
which often seems to go the same ole’ way,
Challenge yourself to find
just one new beautiful thing each day.
Open your eyes and open your heart –
it is right there in front of you if only you look.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
The Friendship Hummer Watercolor – 8×10 140 lb Saunders Cold Press
One of my besties is on a well-deserved vacation. It is her first extended vacation away in two years from being a full-time caregiver to her parents who she loves so dearly and takes such wonderful care of.
In her travels through Oregon, she visited a gift shop where she discovered the amazing art of Dean Crouser. She sent me a photo of a wall of his artwork with a friendly “challenge” to create a similar piece for her.
So here is my attempt. It was fun creating it with the love I feel for this special friend. And though it is nowhere near the artistic genius of Dean Crouser, I’m hoping she will love it since it was made especially for her full of love and admiration and gratitude for her friendship.
Love you Janet!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
In case you forgot to remind yourself this morning…
It’s a new day ready for fresh beginnings.
Your smile can light up a room.
Your beauty is way more than just your appearance.
You alone are more than enough.
You are doing a pretty awesome job at this thing called life.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
PS – I also need to remind myself of this, and these maple tree seedpods I fondly remember as “helicopters” from my childhood spring days at Grandma’s remind me of the hope each day brings and the beauty and potential we all have within just waiting to be shared.
Cherish the Moments!
Sizzling Lemon Butter Scallops in Skillet
Lemon Butter Scallops.
If you are looking for a super quick and easy and even more super delicious scallop recipe, I’ve got a winner for you!
I picked up a 12oz bag of “Specially Selected Premium Jumbo Scallops” at Aldi the other day to make something a little different for dinner for hubby and me.
As a quick side note – I am such a super fan of Aldi. I am a bit late to the game and was really not sure about it at first, but now…. every time I go, I love it more! I swear it costs half of what I pay at our other local supermarkets. I am always astonished when I walk out with a cart full of food for $100 or so. And not only is it so greatly priced, but the quality is amazing. The produce is fresh, the selection is nice, and I feel like I am being environmentally conscientious when I pack my own bags instead of coming home with 20 more plastic bags.
These scallops were absolutely delicious, and if I recall correctly, they were less than $10. I didn’t realize what a great source of protein they are. A 4-ounce serving has 19 grams of protein, 100 calories and 1 gram of fat (0 saturated fat).
So here is the way I made them. (Enough rambling – right??!!) Simple yet delectable. We had them with some butternut squash risotto (which I also picked up at Aldi) and a fresh green salad. (And no I am not being paid by Aldi – though I should inquire! wink!)
Ingredients:
Directions:
Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a 12-inch skillet, add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add scallops in a single layer to hot oil in skillet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Brown 1-2 minutes and then turn. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper. Add butter and allow to melt. Add lemon juice, and flip scallops again to coat with lemon, butter, and garlic. Sprinkle with freshly minced rosemary, and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 