Instant Pot & Art!

 
It's been so cold here!!! All I want to do is stay in my PJ's, draw on my iPad and make food! So this beautiful little character came out last night! I love her! Meet Mayvin! She's an "App" developer and also an avid collector of ceramic frogs. Her grandmother was a collector of frogs, as well, and Mayvin inherited the whole collection when she was 12 years old. Since then, she has added some gorgeous hand-painted ceramic frogs to her own collection, some of them really rare and dating back to the 1800's. A lot of her friends think she's weird and quirky, but frogs are way more special to her than people, anyway. Currently she is working on an amphibian identification app which, hopefully, can help identify some species of frogs that are believed to be extinct. She's currently saving all of her money to take a trip to the Amazon and Equatorial Africa Tropical Forests to test out her app!
I bought an Instant Pot a few years ago and haven't used it in at least a year! I was actually thinking about rehoming it, until I started seeing all of these amazing recipes from Jeffrey Eisner! His cookbooks are just choked full of flavorful recipes and old favorites! Like this delicious Italian Sausage and Shell Pasta I cooked last night. It's super rich [just look at the ingredient list], but certainly worth the splurge now and then!

And today I'm making a big pot of onion soup [Japanese Steakhouse style], because my allergies are kicking my butt! I'm so ready for Spring!!! I hope you are staying warm where you are!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

"So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being." ~ Franz Kafka

Whatever you are...be a good one!

I can't believe Summer is already over!  Seems like it just began...time keeps going by faster and faster...I can barely keep up!  And Halloween will be here before we know it!  I've been busy sewing and making new jewelry --- getting ready for the holidays, which seems so strange to be saying!  I adore these little tassel bracelets --- they are so cute and so easy to just pop on, as you head out the door --- they go with anything --- and, this one in particular is made with some gorgeous Matte Tigereye stones.  I've also been including a couple of Lava Rocks, which can be infused with your favorite essential oils...if you so desire!  

I've also been busy making new zipper pouches that can be used for so many things.  This little Sock Monkey bag had me smiling the whole time I was sewing it up!  Sew cute!!!  

These little bags make great gifts!  You can check all of them out right here in my Etsy shop!

So the "Whole30" came and went, along with 22 lbs.!!!!  I'm so stoked!  Now we have transitioned to a somewhat "Paleo" way of eating!  And Wayne and I both feel sooooo much better!  If you've never tried "Spaghetti Squash", it is really awesome! Topped off with baked chicken cutlets [using this recipe] and some delicious "Rao's Marinara Sauce" [I could literally live on this stuff! Toss up a small side salad and dinner is on!  So good and GOOD for you!

On that note...now that I'm starving, I'm off to fix lunch and make some new stuff!  Stay safe out there!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

"Living in balance and purity is the highest good for you and the earth." --- Deepak Chopra   

Eating good food!

 This stuff is sooooo good!  And, it’s really easy to make!  All you need are some boneless/skinless chicken thighs, some spices, a couple of sauces and some onions and peppers!  Let’s get started!

Ingredients:  1 1/2 lb. boneless/skinless chicken thighs [fresh local, free range, organic, if at all possible], trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
2 tbs. Olive Oil
Cavender’s All purpose Greek Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
Lea&Perrins Worcestershire Sauce [the bomb!!!]
Sweet Soy Sauce [I prefer Sushi Chef brand]
2 Medium Size Bell Peppers, seeded and cut into bite size pieces
2 or 3 small yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
Water and All purpose Flour

Recipe:  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, or wok and then add the chicken pieces
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and Cavender’s to your liking [you can always taste it and add more towards the end]
Toss in the onions and peppers and saute’ until softened
Add the soy sauce [about a cup] and Lea&Perrins [about 3 or 4 tbs.] stirring and cooking for several minutes
Add about 3 tbs. of flour  and some water to make a gravy
Cook and stir on medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes…adding water to thin or flour to thicken to your liking
Serve over rice or pasta and enjoy!!

bon appetit!

But, if you live around Asheville and don't feel like cooking, let me suggest eating a place called the "Cinnamon Kitchen" --- best Indian Food I've ever had and they have a lunch buffet every single day from 11am until 3pm --- food is amazing!

I hope everyone had an awesome Summer!  We only have 1 more week until Autumn!!  I'm ready!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

"What I've enjoyed most, though, is meeting people who have a real interest in food and sharing ideas with them. Good food is a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn - I love it!" --- Jamie Oliver