Illinois artist Angela Moulton has so many wonderful paintings of birds that it was really hard to select a handful to feature today. I absolutely LOVE her use of color and large brushstrokes which give each painting graceful fluid movement. Lovely and cheerful, Angela's paintings make me smile!
Take a moment to visit Angela's gallery of paintings on her website and Etsy shop, Pratt Creek Art. She's quite a prolific artist and her paintings of flowers and other subjects are equally as wonderful. You'll be glad you stopped by!
Every Halloween I look forward to seeing pictures from the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade in NYC and this year didn't disappoint. It's a great event that also hosts many local dog rescue groups who bring dogs for adoption. Such creativity and cuteness in one event and I love that many of the owners dress up with their pups!
Be sure to stop by the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade facebook page to see many more pics and "Like" their page! For more cute halloween costumes, check out my previous post Best Dog Halloween Costumes.
Are you dressing up your pups this year? Please send me a pic ... I'd love to see your pup and share with my viewers!
I love the sweetness of roasted baby carrots and always have them in my refrigerator to put on salads or eat as snacks. I decided I needed to create a new sweet bread recipe using roasted carrots instead of shredded, uncooked carrots as most carrot bread or muffin recipes call for. I puréed them in my Cuisinart to give them a texture similar to canned pumpkin, which keeps the bread moist and spongy. And, I couldn't help but add shredded coconut and raisins. The result was delicious!
I love how this recipe turned out and it will now be in my regular baking rotation. Another bonus is that the loaves look gorgeous with the browned coconut on top. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!
Roasted Carrot Coconut Mélange Bread {Low-Fat}
recipe by: Laura Jolna
Prep Time: 45 min (including time to roast baby carrots)
Cook Time: 55 min
Makes: Approx 2 loaves Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch of cloves
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup puréed roasted baby carrots
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup light sour cream
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup shredded coconut, sweetened + additional for topping
Instructions:
To roast baby carrots, line baking sheet with foil and arrange carrots in a single layer and coat with olive oil spray. Roast at 425° for 35-45 minutes until tender and browned. Cool completely and then purée in Cuisinart.
Turn oven down to 350°.
Whisk or sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger & cloves in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
Using a Kitchenaid mixer or hand mixer, combine sugar, carrot purée, eggs, oil, applesauce, and sour cream; mix well.
Add flour mixture to wet mixture a little at a time and mix until well blended.
Stir in raisins and shredded coconut.
Pour batter into two 8" bread loaf pans coated with canola oil spray; sprinkle tops with shredded coconut.
Bake for 50-55 min or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove from bread pans and cool completely.
Notes:
I use the disposable 8" eco-foil or ez-foil bread pans and they make a HUGE difference in how the bread comes out. With a larger, commercial pan, the edges of the bread tend to cook more quickly before the center is done and half the bread comes out tougher. The key to evenly moist bread is using two of the smaller disposable pans. And, I wash and reuse them so they are super economical and environmental friendly!
So many gorgeous pumpkins in the market right now and what to do with them other than decorate? I saw this recipe for Roast Pumpkin With Feta and Honey from Lorraine Elliott of Not Quite Nigella blog and couldn't wait to try it.
I love the sweet and tangy combination of the honey and feta. I made this last night and added sautéed swiss chard and it was fantastic! I served it with a maple mustard pork loin chop and actually skipped the side dishes to have a second serving! I also subbed the sesame seeds for dried cranberries which added an additional chewy sweetness. Yum!
I'm inspired today by Jan Schmuckal's contemporary Impressionist paintings and am sharing a few of my favorites. The quality of light in each painting is amazing and I just love her use of color. I find each piece to have a wonderfully soothing and serene quality to them. Jan resides in Geneva, IL and is the co-owner of an art gallery in a 112 year-old victorian house, Gallery 28. She also offers her paintings and giclee prints for sale on-line.
To see more of Jan's paintings, take a moment to stop by her Etsy shop,Gallery 28and visit her website. She's quite a prolific artist and I'm certain you'll be glad you did!
Now that the weather has turned chilly, I've been putting a sweater on Lily that I knitted for my previous Jack Russell, Bo Bo. It's way too big on her and I need to knit a new one just for her, however, that will take some time. Meanwhile, there are some great DIY recycled doggy sweater ideas I found on Pinterest today. Love the creativity!
This adorable recycled dog sweater from Blooming Leopold is made from a recycled boy's sweater bought at a thrift shop. Love that! I'll have to make a trip to Goodwill soon. Click here for great instructions on how make this sweater. This adorable terrier's name is Bloom. Lovely!
This light merino sporty sweater is worn by Spots from Resweater. Great step-by-step photos and instructions on the website. Clickhereto see the instructions and visit the Resweater website. Great tutorial!
This adorable sweater from Romp Rescue is actually made from a sock! Clever idea for the smaller pups or puppies. Click here for detailed instructions. So cute!
I've always loved fair isle sweaters and adorable Gertie is wearing a recycled fair isle made from a sweater vest. Love it! Click here to visit Craft Stylish and get great step-by-step instructions.
I love these healthy, no-bake and gluten-free Cinnamon Cookie Dough Bites from Tales Of A Kitchen. In fact, they are so healthy that it's not fair for me to call them an "indulgence" or even a cookie! They're more of an aromatic, energy-packed snack that will satisfy a sweet craving. And, they're super easy to make!
I am a huge fan of cinnamon and use it every day. Some of the ways I like to use cinnamon are:
Sprinkled in my coffee grounds when making coffee and then sprinkled in my coffee cup with milk and sweetener. It gives my coffee a rich, sweet taste.
Sprinkled on an english muffin topped with ricotta cheese and honey (my breakfast almost daily).
