eaten: Veggie Spiral

When I started this resolution to try new recipes each week, I was excited to maybe stumble upon some new side dishes. There is only so much salad a family can eat. So when I saw this veggie spiral on Pinterest I knew it would be a hit.

I have made it twice, the first time without onions because I forgot to buy one and the second time with the onions. This needs the onions. Also the first time the potatoes were a little under cooked and it needed more seasonings so the next time I remedied both of those problems. The hardest part about this simple dish is making sure it gets in the oven early enough.

This is delicious and even better as leftovers the next day. And easily adaptable, just use whatever veggies and seasonings your family loves.

Pictures and recipe courtesy of For The Love of Cooking

Vegetable Tian

• 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 1 large sweet yellow onion cut in half and sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 russet potatoes, unpeeled-I used red potatoes
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 3 large Roma tomatoes
• Sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Dried thyme, to taste
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 60 seconds. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the greased baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, squash and tomatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly into a spiral, making only one layer. Season with sea salt, black pepper and dried thyme, to taste. Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the top.

Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Uncover and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until browned. Enjoy.

Steve rating: 8
Beckie rating: 8

bexcaliber: giveaway

I am hosting a giveaway over at The Funky Monkey this week. Go check it out and enter to win this Black Love Print Pillow Cover.

Happy Anniversary!

Its been SIX years since I married my favorite person in the whole world. I have had the most fun being married to Steve and I still love him as much as I did that day. Thanks for making me a very happy woman.

To celebrate we got our first paid babysitter ever (that wasn't in a swap) and went out for a fun evening. We shared fajitas for two at Agua Linda and then went and saw Warm Bodies. The food was delicious, the movie was entertaining and the company was the best.

Video Viernes: Go Dog Go

Henry continues to love reading. Some evenings we will read together for almost an hour and he will sit, rapt in the stories and pictures. I love that his attention span has increased and I also love that he can really understand what he is being told. When we tell him stories at night before bed, he listens and can follow simple plots and participate along with the characters. He has also started picking up on basic storytelling phrasing and can tell us stories about his favorite characters - mostly a little boy named Henry.

Now he has started reading us books and will look at them intently on his own. Sometimes he will even recite his favorites to us while standing on the ottoman. He faces us like a great orator and projects his tales. We get books on cd from the library and he can follow along with the physical book in the car. The first one we did, Peter Rabbit is his favorite and he will repeat almost word for word the text. "Once upon a time, there were four little rabbits. Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter..."

Here is he reading Go Dog Go. He doesn't quite make it through the whole thing but its a solid effort.

eaten: Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs and Lemon Marinated Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes

 I was raised on marinara sauce. In fact I don't think I had any pasta without a red sauce until I was at least 20 years old. Crazy, huh? So I have been intrigued by all the options there are out there.

Something about this caught my eye, not only did it look incredibly fresh but it sounded delicious. Garlic gravy? Yes, please. Cherry tomatoes? Yes, please. Lemon Chicken? Triple Yes.

 Apart from remembering to marinate the chicken, this was really easy to throw together and it was delicious. The best new recipe I have tried this year. I precut my chicken before putting it in the marinade which made it easier to cook later and every piece got the tangy lemon flavor. The lemon was pretty strong on its own but combined with the robust garlic sauce and it was a union of perfect balance. Seriously, I am drooling thinking of the leftovers.

 

Recipe and picture from goddess of scrumptiousness

Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs and Lemon Marinated Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients:
500 grams spaghetti pasta (cooked al dente)
1 pound chicken breast fillets (sliced into 1 inch chunks)
For the chicken marinade:
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use half of the amount)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ a lemon
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to sauté the marinated chicken)
-  Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinade for 20 minutes (if making this dish in pronto) or over night (if making this dish the next day… much better).
-  Saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside.
For the garlic gravy:
½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup parsley, chopped (to sprinkle/finish the pasta)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups whole cherry tomatoes
-  Place sauté pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil.
-  Saute garlic until fragrant and soft.
-  Add the flour and cook for a minute.
-  Add chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened then add the chopped basil. Sauce should be cloudy and no longer transparent but not thick like thanksgiving gravy.
-  Season with salt and pepper.
-  Add the sauteed chicken in the gravy then toss the cooked spaghetti into this  sauce.
-  Add the cherry tomatoes and finish the dish with the chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese (serve extra on the side).
Makes 5-6 servings

Steve rating:
beckie rating: 9

A is for Art

I saw this great tip online that showed how a mom scanned all her children's art instead of keeping stacks of mangled drawings. She then compiled smaller images into one print to frame for the home.

And while I think maybe a few really good ones should be saved, there is no need for mountains of paper to be shoved in a drawer somewhere. So I finally got around to scanning all the art we had saved from the past 10 months. It was fun to see how far Henry has come in his hand eye coordination. Here are some of my favorites:

Circles within circles. If Henry is ever getting bored of coloring I ask him to draw a circle and then another one around that and so forth until the page is full. I think he needs/likes having direction.

I like when he switches to pencil and you can actually see the stab marks. Sometimes the art he creates is just stab holes. Wounded paper? Tortured artist?

Finger paints. So fun and so bright. He calls them "The one with the hand on it."

Here we used a thread cone to make this fun pattern. Simply dipping it in the different colors kept him really busy and thoroughly entertained. This was during an "A is for Art" afternoon.

My mom managed to find some paint with water books online. The paint doesn't bleed together as well as I remember it as a kid but it is easy and relatively clean fun.  This is the back of a painting. I just like it better than the front. Can you see the farmers?

Another "A if for Art" experiment. Henry loves glue sticks. So I cut up some shapes and let him glue them to colored paper. A nice change from just coloring. You should have seen him put a huge area of glue down for a tiny circle. So cute and determined.

Video Viernes: Henry's Acrobatics

large from Rebekah Clark on Vimeo.
We have been laying low of late. Meaning I have been in a slump and not really up to much. In fact, in an effort to claim a fresh start I did a mega clean/purge this week and made a goal to throw away, giveaway or put away 10 items everyday. That means cleaning out clothing, going through past issues of magazines and finally finding homes for things that have just been hanging out in the wrong places. Its been nice but I still find myself in a bit of a creative funk. Maybe the new swatches of test fabrics I ordered will rejuvenate my productivity.

And here is a crazy video of Henry's acrobatics. Instead of making you watch lots of random videos I compiled them all into one. So here is a day in the life of a little boy full of energy who loves to jump off things and taught himself how to somersault.

eaten: Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

Pinterest is funny sometimes. Often, one item will be repinned hundreds of times and the caption won't even be correct. This was originally tagged as a crock pot meal but it isn't. How many times do we just blindly repin without actually checking out the links? I found one the other day that claimed to be a sugar free and flourless brownie. In fact, the recipe called for both items. I had to laugh at how many people probably repinned it thinking it was a healthier dessert option.

Anyway, this recipe has been a favorite in our house for a few months but this week I tweaked it a bit pesto-style and it was still delicious. I have included both options for you so you can mix it up. I also always add chicken since then it is a more full meal and we like chicken. I actually think this could be tweaked to any taste and would be yummy with mushrooms or other vegetables too.

And Henry loves raviolis too so it is win win.

Tuscan Pasta With Tomato-Basil Cream

Ingredients

• 1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli
• 1-2 large chicken breasts, sliced into 1 inch slices 
• 1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
• 2 tablespoons white wine (I just swirl some water in the jar since we don't have wine in our house)
• 2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped. I use Roma tomatoes and I use about 4 of them
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Garnish: fresh basil strips

• Preparation

• 1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
• 2. Meanwhile, saute chicken in a skillet and cook through, about 4-5 minutes. Add Alfredo sauce. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.

Steve rating: 7
beckie rating: 8

Alternate recipe: The sun-dried tomato sauce is really good but the other day I was craving pesto so I replaced the sun-dried tomato sauce with 1/2 a jar Light Parmesan Alfredo and added 4 spoonfuls of prepared pesto. Since pesto is basil, I omitted the basil from the dish. It was creamy and tangy and very good. I also liked adding less Alfredo because it made the dish lighter. 

Me at Maker's Summit

I was able to find one picture of myself in the Indie Craft Parade's flickr page for The Maker's Summit. These are the two super cute girls I tagged along with from Maidae. I need a haircut-bad.

I have been working hard this week to finish up taxes for bexcaliber and rephotographing my inventory on white backgrounds. Step one in my marketing plan. It was kind of a pain figuring out the right exposures and camera settings to reduce editing time on the computer but I think I have the hang of it now. And since I have changed out some pictures in my shop, I have already noticed more views and I have been in more treasuries. This is a step in the right direction. It will be gradual as I have 100's of pillow covers but over time they will all get done.

And since I have been so lazy about sharing my instagram pictures of late, you can now just check out my feed online (Mom). Just click on the little instagram link in my sidebar.

Oh and I am on twitter now too! Social media overload? Maybe. come find me because I only have 4 followers @bexcaliber

So have a great weekend everyone. I will be heading out for a wonderful date with Steve to see Beauty and the Beast tonight. Hooray for Christmas gifts of anticipation and delayed excitement! And then we're getting our taxes done tomorrow and have a Valentine's Day party at night.

eaten: Lasagna Soup

Over the summer when all the Clarks were vacationing in Utah in a blissful cabin in the mountains-man, that was fun! our sister in law made this delicious Lasagna Soup for dinner. Steve really liked it which made me mental note to get the recipe. Well, I totally forgot but luckily pinterest brought the recipe again to my attention.

A sausage and tomato broth ladled over noodles and cheesy goodness. Yum! So there was a good and a bad to our experience with this recipe. It was easy to make and very good. I used bow tie pasta since I had it on hand and I even followed her advice to keep all the ingredients separate and just mix them per each bowl-that worked well. We had a friend over for dinner and he thought it was really good too. But this dish killed both Steve and I's stomachs. Overshare? Maybe. But I would caution how generous you are with the cheese. The first night I think know I overdid it. On leftover night, I sparingly added the cheese and it was better. And here I thought I had an iron stomach...

Recipe can be found here via afarmgirlsdabbles

Lasagna Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

for the soup:
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
• 3 c. chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 c. chicken stock
• 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
• 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the cheesy yum:
• 8 oz. ricotta
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper 
•  
additional cheesy yum:
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Steve rating: 7

beckie rating: 8 for taste, 5 for stomach issues, average of 6.5

Makers Summit 2013: Inspiration and Intention

 

Last Saturday I had the privilege to attend The Makers Summit in Greenville, SC. I awoke early (5:30!) and drove a couple hours both ways but it was totally worth it.  The day was spent making new friends, networking and absorbing as many creative business tips I could sink my brain into.

Everyone was friendly and willing including a couple of girls from Atlanta who I tagged along with and borrowed these pictures from. Oh and I just have to mention the amazing food and organization by Indie Craft Parade. The event was incredibly well run and full of lovely DIY details that made you feel loved and cosy.

I left alive with plans and dreams for the future of bexcaliber. Hopeful intentions.

  So in in effort to process what I gleaned I am going to bullet point my favorite quotes:

• "I didn't want to trade my life for $8 an hour..." eavesdropped from a lady sitting behind me. 
• "Creative impulse to share our work is a powerful marketing tool. Find a curator. Be a curator." Stephen Fraser
• "Do you believe that this is what you're meant to do?" Grace Kang
• "Be nimble. Launch, tweak, roll with it, readjust quickly." Grace Kang
• "If you can imagine it, you can turn it into a reality." Grace Kang
• "Be your own ambassador." Amy Flurry

 A few people talked about intentions and having "Intentional Growth." Instead of setting goals, something you want to achieve, make an intention. Declare something you intend on making happen and make it happen. For some reason, this really clicked with me. Intention implies you already have the power to succeed.

So what are my intentions after an inspiring day? I have given myself a few days to mull over my thoughts and I have decided to adopt the following intentions.

• Marketing. Focus on pitching my products.
• Revisit my etsy shop with fresh eyes. I had a great shop critique and a page of notes to work from.
• Participate in and support the creative ecosystem.

Hopefully I will follow up here with my progress and reevaluate along the way.