vintage by {h}art

...yum-O!

...learning to fuel up right...

...Wine Tasting Dinner...

for my husband's birthday... 

five wines. friends, family. way too much food. this was fun...

... the odour of Burgundy, and the smell of French sauces, and the sight of clean napkins and long loaves, knocked as a very welcome visitor at the door of our inner man.
Jerome K. Jerome

jpb

the {clean} tacos

 

 

home made chipotle style...

yes, 'chipotle' is a trademark. but chipotle is also just smoked jalapenos.

we think eating at Chipotle is about the healthiest, freshest food you can get in the cities. yummy treat. it's fun at home too, and when you make all the ingredients, the sky's the limit- for several meals.

i choose corn tortillas over flour any day, because they're whole grain, and not white flour glue. we just brush a little olive oil on and warm them...

my meat of choice is skinless, boneless chicken breast or tenders. simmer ever-so-slowly to keep tender and moist, season the liquid a little or use broth. then chop or pull apart. season to taste, sprinkle with fresh lime juice. add some chipotle seasoning if you want. it's hot!

heat black beans. add a can of Rotel if desired. sprinkle with lime juice.

cook a batch of brown rice. cool slightly... sprinkle with lime juice. fresh of course. add several tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro.

saute some veggies like red or other colored peppers, onion, garlic...

grate good cheese. i like sharp cheddar bec. then you don't need much... it's so flavorful...

julienne your favorite lettuce. i like butter. add several tablespoons of chopped cilantro.

finely chop onion, scallion, or shallot...

dice the best tomatoes you can find. romas?

favorite salsa? sour cream? try plain greek yogurt instead...

now, do you want tacos, a burrito bowl? a burrito? fajitas? one of each?

whatever it is, sprinkle more lime juice and cilantro on top... jalepenos?

yum. there. smile. mmm...

jpb

100 random things

...because if this blog is anything, it's raNdOm.

1. as usual, this is probably not what i should not be doing.

2.
have been attempting to eat clean since jan. 1. if not before. not sure. 'clean' as in the new buzzword, clean eating. {not as in Deuteronomy.}but clean eating as promoted now in books, magazines... and well, it's not completely new-but it's taken on a whole new life of it's own now. i've been drinking black coffee now for several weeks. this one thing in itself is monumental for me. i've tried for so long... knowing that the {organic} half and half with sugar was 're-shaping' me. ugh. but now, i can actually taste the things they talk about on the coffee packages. hints of this, notes of that, finishes...  like all of the things one may taste in different wines. because they're not creamed or sugared. like the hot Häagen-Dazs i used to concoct. every now {and then!} a skinny latte is called for...

3. i am lOvIng poached eggs. i'm glad their bad wrap is over. eggs, i mean. so yummy, poached in their little cups with a little olive oil, s&p- on a freshly toasted whole grain english muffin.{ muffin is such a cute word.}

4. i recently gathered, counted and found that ...there are over 25 different workout dvd/videos on our shelf. pilates, yoga for christians, resistance bands, stability ball, reformer, low-chair... and i love them all. hard to choose. it's funny, 'cause i was never athletic. always the last one chosen for kick-ball, etc. but i'm not bitter about that.

5. reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. she's fUnNy! giggling while reading. it's a good thing. instructions on writing and life. wow.

6. so, i am the WorSt book keeper. papers, checkbook, quicken. bad. just bad. in fact, that 's what i should be doing. well,... i will.

7. i want to sell on Etsy. lots.

8. i think blogging may be narcissistic. i feel bad every time i type 'i'.

9. i've realized lately while struggling with/thinking about the time i spend here- and reading Bird by Bird that i have a need to write ...whether it's read or not. it's just such a good processing tool for me. i'm super excited about an 'assignment' she writes about giving to her students- which is writing about their childhood. i'd kind of started this before- as a scrapbook. but now i'm really motivated. i want to get out all of the old photos i have and scan them... so i can play with them. and remember things. and write.

10. ...have about  10 quilts in different stages of progress.

11. i'm very, very excited to receive this book in the mail in the next few days. do click on and look at that... and her blog... don't miss it.

12. reading The Hawk and the Dove by Penelope Wilcock for book club.

13. our 'master suite' looks like this:

 

14. today, the cabinet builder came. there will be a double vanity. {vanity?!} the cabinets will look like individual pieces of furniture with a tall open shelf unit in between. we're matching all of the wood to our sauna, since it will be part of the room when finished. we've had it for years. love it. we want the new master bath to have the feel of a spa. so, the vanity tops will be wood slats with a thick piece of tempered glass for the countertop. 2 white china vessel sinks... tiled back splash to match the shower...

15. yesterday we picked tile for the shower. we want it to feel very earthy and natural... so we've chosen some tumbled, sort of rough looking tile. {not perfect and shiny.} the floor of the shower will be pebbles!!! i love that... the outside of the shower will be wood slat looking to match the sauna. there'll be an obscured glass window to let light into the shower. and we'll toss in a few little glass tile pieces here and there... throughout.

16. our clawfoot tub, which was in the master bathroom -is now sitting, waiting -in our home office. the clawfoot tub will sit right by that big picturesque window -facing hills and mountains...

17. i'm imagining adding a homey area rug in front of the tub, and a neat, comfy chair in the corner.

18. glad we have other bathrooms to use in the meantime.

19. the floor is cut open for plumbing, etc. and kitty goes down in and plays between the floor trusses. i knew she would. i'm just worried that she doesn't get 'built in'.

20. i've been thinking about how this whole house could be a spa. it could!

21. i've made myself very sore and stiff from working out. smile. good.

22. i never thought in a million years that yoga could be for christians. but now i've read 2 books, looked at numerous websited, and done it... it's all very interesting... God created us, and our bodies, and what they can do. many have taken things created by God and perverted them... well, that's just the beginning... more to come.

23. i wish today had 150 hours in it, and that i had the energy to accomplish all that i'd like to make, do, read... it would be a good little start.

24. our house is not clean.

25. dh and i are hooked on epic dvd series. s... for some reason, just placing a little flat screen tv- taken from another room and installing it in our front room, near the wood stove has resulted in hours and hours of movie time together lately. we've watched through several sets in the past few weeks. last friday night we started Little Dorrit {a Dicken's story -by BBC -in 14 parts} at dinner time. we couldn't stop... and finished it at 5am!!! i snoozed a few times. had to go back and re-watch a few scenes... ...next? this is cramping my resolution to READ more. i have to lock myself in the bathroom in a hot bath with candle to accomplish all of the reading i'd like... but these long winter evenings by the fire and these good movies have been just divine.

so anyways... 25 more next time...

guilt calls me back to my other lists...

:o)  jpb

...book club... update, of sorts.

book? what book?

 

...after this feast on a cold December night, when we were to have read Dicken's Christmas Carol, we discussed and came to the conclusion that our club might just as well be named something like The Book Tasting/Dinner Club.

suzette hostessed, and she and jess prepared this amazing Christmas dining experience -including figgy pudding!

have you ever had high quality bleu cheese drizzled with real honey? decadent.

tonight will be our 4th meeting! we've tackled The Great Gatsby, {the first half of} The Brothers Karamazov, Dicken's A Christmas Carol, and this month Chocolat.

...we decided to go with a food book. what better food than chocolate? mmm...

we meet in a few hours. s'cuse me... i have to go read.

jpb