Photography

You May Hear Me Being Called… A Charlie Guest Post

/ Jodi / 66 Comments

You May Hear Me Being Called…  A Charlie Guest Post

My mom calls me “Char.”
My niece calls me “E!”
My brothers call me “Chuck.”
My dad calls me “Buddy.”

But at different times,
and in different circumstances,
you may hear me being called….

“Bed Hog” in the middle of the night.
“Mooch” when someone is eating.
“Bad” when I steal food from the table while nobody is looking.
“Pest” when I want breakfast at 6am on Sunday mornings.
“Good Boy” when I allow my niece to take a bone from my mouth.
“Silly” when I chase my own tail.
“Noisy” when I want to play with my squeaky donut while Dad is still sleeping.
“Stinky” when I roll in something wonderful in the yard.

It’s a wonder I even know my name – huh?

You really can call me anything you want,
but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
don’t
ever
call me
late
for dinner!

Woofs & Wags,
Charlie

Charlie is an adopted dog with brown eyes and a white-tipped tail who brings joy and laughter to his family and friends.  Charlie is a gifted writer, raving food critic, cat, chipmunk, and donut lover, and exceptionally photogenic model.  Some of his best friends are Mike the UPS Man, Cliff the Mailman, and ANYONE who delivers pizza to the house.   If you would like to read more guest posts by Charlie, simply type “Charlie” into the Search box at the top right hand corner of this link: thecreativelifeinbetween.com.   If you would enjoy a companion like Charlie, please consider pet adoption.

 

Upon Closer Inspection

/ Jodi / 29 Comments

Upon Closer Inspection.

It may appear
to be just a rock
sitting amidst the flower bed

Like so many
things we are used to seeing,
but fail to really notice.

Take some time…
Don’t overlook
the whole universe of activity.

Take the time
to notice the details
you’d otherwise miss…

Upon closer inspection.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

All of the Sudden

/ Jodi / 41 Comments

Flowering Crabapple Tree, Mars, PA – Spring 2018

All of the Sudden.

You wait.
You wonder.
You anticipate.

And then
one day
you blink.

And all of the sudden
the beauty and joy and delight
appears.

All of the sudden.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

In the Darkness

/ Jodi / 50 Comments

In the Darkness.

Sometimes
the most
beautiful,
wonderful,
exciting
things
show up
in
the
darkness.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Showing Your True Colors

/ Jodi / 54 Comments

Goldfinch – Mars, PA – April 2018

Showing Your True Colors.

If you could show your true color,
what color would you be?

Yellow is the color of sunshine, hope, and happiness.

Yellow stands for freshness, happiness, positivity, clarity, energy, optimism, enlightenment, remembrance, intellect, honor, loyalty, and joy.

Bright yellow is an attention getting color, and when used in combination with black,  it creates one of the easiest color combinations to read and see from long distances. This is why school buses, taxi cabs, and traffic signs are painted yellow and black.

If you were a color – would you be yellow?

If I could be as beautiful as this goldfinch that visits our backyard, I sure would be.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Don’t Stop Working for It

/ Jodi / 34 Comments

Pine Squirrel in the Spring Snow – Mars, PA – April 7, 2018

If you
can’t stop
thinking
about it,
Don’t stop
working
for it.

This little cutie is an American Red (Pine) Squirrel that hangs out in our back yard with the birds and other bigger squirrels (and chipmunks and turkey and deer and Charlie of course).  These little squirrels only stand about 6 inches tall, being just a bit bigger than a chipmunk, and weigh about a half of a pound (200-250 g).

Saturday morning, we awoke to another Spring snow with two or three inches on the deck railing.  This little bugger was not giving up on his quest to get to the (ahem) “bird” feeder for breakfast.  I caught him burrowing full force through the snow that was taller than him when on all fours, but he was determined…. and he got there.

He reminded me not to give up and not to stop working on what we want and where we want to go.

Thanks little buddy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Coconut Dark Chocolate Dream Cookies

/ Jodi / 50 Comments

Coconut Dark Chocolate Dream Cookies.

Are you a coconut lover?
Is dark chocolate your chocolate choice?

Would you choose a Mounds bar even if you are a little nutty?!

Then these cookies are definitely your dream come true!

They didn’t last long in our house.

I used Moser Roth 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate I purchased at Aldi.  YUM!

Not a coconut fan?
Make them for someone who is…
You just might earn Betty Crocker Baking Super Star status .

Just sayin’…

Coconut Dark Chocolate Dream Cookies*

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup solid coconut oil
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped dark chocolate
  • 2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cream coconut oil and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add in egg and vanilla, followed by baking powder, salt, and flour.

Stir in chopped chocolate and coconut.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto baking stone or cookie sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned and set.  Cool completely.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

* Original recipe slightly adapted from Add a Pinch.

Tiny interesting choices

/ Jodi / 39 Comments

Tiny Interesting Japonica blooms, Mars, PA – April 2018

Tiny interesting choices.

Take wrong turns.  Talk to strangers.
Open unmarked doors.  And if you see a
group of people in a field, go find out
what they are doing. Do things without
always knowing how they’ll turn out.
You’re curious and smart and
bored, and all you see is the choice
between working hard and slacking off.
There are so many adventures that you
miss because you’re waiting to think of
a plan.  To find them, look for tiny
interesting choices.  And remember that
you are always making up the
future as you go,

–Randall Munroe

Isn’t this great advice?!

Remember there is more to life than just working hard or slacking off…. there is so much “in between.”

Cherish those moments!

Look for those tiny interesting choices that are making up your future… your life.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

A Different Perspective

/ Jodi / 36 Comments

A view from atop the hill of the road I walk most every day – Mars, PA – April 1, 2018

A Different Perspective.

For the past 17 years,
I’ve walked the same road.

Each day,
I look for something new.

But sometimes,
we need to veer from that same road

And look at it
from a different perspective.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Classic Italian Lasagna

/ Jodi / 51 Comments

Classic Italian Lasagna.

I’ve shared before, and I’ll declare again… although I don’t have a drop of Italian heritage (that I know of) in me, I am an Italian “wannabe.”

I love cooking and eating Italian food.

Years ago – even before I was married – I worked with a young Italian woman who generously shared her Mom’s classic Italian lasagna recipe with me.

I have never made it any other way.  It is simple and classic and DELICIOUS!

I’ve adapted it to a smaller portion than the recipe originally shared with me since these days this size will last Hubby and I plenty long enough to almost grow tired of eating it for so many days in a row…. ALMOST!

When you are craving classic Italian lasagna, I hope you will give this recipe a try.  Here is how I make it.

Lasagna

Ingredients:

  • 1 quart marinara tomato sauce
  • 1 lb. ground beef, pork, turkey (or combination)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 box Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
  • 2 cups Ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dried basil or 1/4 cup freshly minced basil
  • 1/4 cup chopped parley
  • 1 lb. fresh Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
  • 8 oz.  Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese, freshly grated

Directions:

Heat olive oil in saucepan.  Add chopped onions and minced garlic, and saute until soft.  Add ground meat, and cook until browned.  Add marinara tomato sauce and simmer.

In medium bowl, mix Ricotta cheese, egg, salt, basil, and parsley.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In 8 or 9 inch square baking dish, spread 1/2 cup prepared meat sauce on bottom.  Layer with lasagna noodles – overlapping to cover.  Layer with half of Ricotta cheese mixture.  Top with sliced Mozzarella cheese.  Spoon more sauce over cheese to cover.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.   Repeat layering.  End with sauce topped with remaining Mozzarella and sprinkled with Parmesan.

Cover with foil.  Bake 25 minutes.  Remove foil.  Bake 20 minutes longer or until browned and bubbly.  Cool 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Mangia tutti!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi