Under a Blue Moon

Recipe cards

Whenever I do a recipe type post I pull out my motley collection of recipes I've collected over the years or pull from something I've seen online.

The issue with that is it isn't very photogenic.

I got to thinking I should clean up my recipe collection so I could file them all away neatly. I have recipes that I copied at the tender age of 19 (before I knew how to spell pilaf properly) and while some were kept semi-consistent with my kitschy 70's recipe cards, most were just saved on scrap pieces of note paper.

So when I do a food related post I usually copy the recipe on a template recipe card that has a kind of vintage, tried and true, look to it.

I decided I would start migrating my hodge podge collection of recipes and I would just keep with the recipe card template I like. I would recommend looking on Pinterest for a template that speaks to you. The one I like is from HERE.

I copied the image into a MS Word document and then layered text boxes on top. I did alter the original graphic of the recipe card to lighten it up a bit. The font I used is Traveling Typewriter. I printed two to a sheet of card stock and then cut them down to size (6" x 4")

While I'm not sure I'm quite ready to toss those late 70's, early 80's recipe cards out just yet I don't have any problem getting rid of the various scrap pieces of paper I have with recipes on then.

I noticed that most of the earlier recipe cards are for baked goods or desserts and some of the recipes are just awful sounding (anything calling for cream of chicken soup…) or undecipherable. I do like how I consistently recorded who the recipe came from. I must have tried it and liked it enough to ask for the recipe.

I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Friday Favorites

Untitled ◊ an itty bitty garland… ◊ Untitled ◊ fields of flowers…

I have this top from Macy's in both black and white and they are so comfortable and flattering. They look even better in person than they do in the photos. I love the high low hem and the drop shoulders which work great on my body shape which is a bit on the booby side. On me the neckline is a little lower (more like the photo of the grey option) but not too low and while it is lightweight, it isn't too sheer. Perfect for summer. And on sale at the moment!
I just started following Katrine Pedersen on Instagram and I'm loving her style and her beautiful cats. Her dog isn't too shabby either.
Pretty candlesticks from Ballard Designs. I love the acrylic and the brass.
What a pretty apartment. Even thought it is basically just black and white with the occasional green plant it isn't the least bit cold or minimal looking. Although, truth be told, I'm not wild about the wallpapered ceiling in the bedroom. But I love the touches of brass and gold and the trim on the walls.

Happy Friday my friends! We made it to the weekend! This week started off kind of slow (work-wise) and then just kind of snowballed.

We are expecting a load of pea gravel to be delivered today which we will use to top off the gravel area by the garbage cans and to put on top of the weed cloth in our new jasmine bed. I would prefer the look of dark mulch in our flower beds but since it will be entirely covered by the jasmine eventually we decided the pea gravel was a more practical option. I am a huge fan of our gravel "patio" area in the back yard. To me it is very European looking.

I am expecting a delivery of faded floral fabric on Saturday so if I'm feeling ambitious I may whip up a slip cover for our outdoor lounge chair. My sewing machine is all set up and ready to go. I am inspired by this picture and this one. I like the length of the ruffle in the first one better.

I hope you have a spectacular weekend! See you on Monday!

Banana Blueberry Bread

In retrospect banana blueberry bread just doesn't sound right. I should have gone with blueberry banana bread but I had already printed the tag and the recipe card and taken all the photos so I guess that is what it shall be.

Either way, according to my taste tester, it turned out great. I am lucky to have someone willing to try all my culinary endeavors that I myself will not eat (you know…carbs and all…).

I will give you my one banana bread tip. Don't put too many bananas in it. Two overripe bananas are just enough or you end up with a heavy, dense loaf that takes forever to bake.

Those bananas are not very photogenic but they are the perfect level of ripeness. We went through a phase were we would buy too many bananas, two or three would get to this stage and we would throw them in the freezer with the intention to use them in smoothies or bread. Never happened. I just had a freezer full of black bananas. So now we only buy a couple of bananas at a time and if they get to this stage then we either throw them out or bake something right then.

This afternoon, even though the temps topped out in the 90's, I decided to bake some banana bread. Since I also had some blueberries in the freezer that were getting close to their sell-by date I thought I would throw them in too. I only used half a cup because I think too many blueberries isn't a good thing either. You want nice balance of banana and blueberry.

So on with the recipe!

Banana Blueberry Bread

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease an 8" loaf pan.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk*
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, smooshed
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh is best but frozen works fine too)

Combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil and bananas.

Sift together the dry ingredients and add to banana mixture, mixing thoroughly but not excessively so. Fold in blueberries. Pour into prepared pan.

Place on rack in center of the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. I always start checking around the one hour mark and as soon as a toothpick inserted comes out clean I take it out of the oven. Cool in pan for about 30 minutes and then turn out onto cooling rack.

*You may recall my tip about using dried buttermilk. If you use it then add you will want to add 1/3 cup water to the wet ingredients and 1 Tbsp. and 1/4 tsp. of the dried buttermilk to the dry ingredients in place of regular buttermilk.

I hope you give it a try.

Little changes

About a week ago I was driving to the grocery store and my car accidentally turned into the parking lot of an antique store. This happens sometimes. I keep meaning to get it fixed.

I have been keeping an eye out for a small table to replace the round, metal one we had in our sitting room. Here's a refresher, if you want to see it. It's a nice table and all (who can resist anything with crystals hanging off it? Not me, that is for sure) but I think it looks more like a table that should be outside.

When I walked into the antique store one of the first things I spotted was this sweet, little table. The tag says it is from the 1920's and the best thing is it was only $45! Rick asked if I was going to paint it white, as I am wont to do, but I am going to keep it the way it is. I like how it matches the wood on the Bergere chairs and the small cane back chair we have on the other side of the room.

It's amazing how one small change can really pull the room together and make it seem more cohesive. There was an immediate change to the energy in the room after I switched them out. Like it was just meant to go in that exact spot.

Another thing I picked up was this ornate teapot. Or is it technically a coffee pot? I can never tell. It was completely black when I got it and I polished it the best I could but I was afraid I was going to remove the silver-plate completely if I kept at it. I think it would be really pretty with an arrangement of flowers in it.

This room still needs new carpeting and valances. I'm procrastinating on both because I really like the carpet we have in here and I doubt I'll find anything like it. It has the most interesting pattern but it is about eight million years old. The current valances are ones that I made out of the curtains that were on the windows when we moved in. They are a pretty toile de Juoy but they are pale blue and cream. If they were a pale green or grey instead they would be fine. I just need to find the right fabric.

All in due time.

Friday Favorites

Last days of Coney ◊ around and around ◊ ~ ◊ Untitled

I am typing this on my brand, spanking new laptop! I love to use different background wallpapers and found the mother lode of free downloads on Design Love Fest. There is something for everyone. This is my current wallpaper
This is a pretty refresh for a living room space. Not everything I like is exactly my style but I love getting inspiration from different decorating styles. I love the blush pink and metal accents, the white painted woodwork, the moody grey walls and the Italian end paper like wall paper. Not a fan of hide rugs (Yeesh – I can only think of the poor animal it covered at one time). I also want to know what is/how is the display on their television
Fun, kitschy Instagram account I just started following. So cheerful! They also have an Etsy shop
Are you going to see the remake of A Star is Born? Can Bradley Cooper sing or what? Here's a six degrees fact for you…I went to school with Kris Kristofferson's (original Star is Born…) kids (well a couple of them, he has a pack of them). He made the occasional appearance at school functions

Hello!!! And sorry for the unexplained absence on Wednesday. Work has been particularly busy this past week. My own work is busy plus I was covering for a coworker who is climbing to the top of Machu Picchu at the moment – lots of last minute things that I'm not particularly familiar with so the week felt like a bit of a scramble.

The weather continues to be on crack. 98 degrees one day, in the 60's the next. And so windy! The wind always makes me feel so unsettled. Let's see….what else has happened this past week….Oh! I had my yearly physical and got the very devastating news my beloved doctor is retiring at the end of the year. I have been seeing her since the late 80's. I am happy for her but oh so sad for me. Two of my sisters and a couple of my nieces see her too. We are going to have a family meeting to pick out a new physician. I did get a clean bill of health.

One good thing is my doctor's nurse, William, told me that they realized when the offices were built and outfitted that the wall mounted measuring sticks were all mounted 1/2" too high so everyone was measuring a bit short. They finally figured it out when so many patients were complaining about shrinking. I am elated to get that 1/2" back and still maintain my 5'7" height. No osteoporosis for this girl.

We really don't have any plans for this weekend. Since I do have my new laptop and can properly edit photographs I have some blog photos I want to take. I have a few new acquisitions I want to share with you all.

Have a fabulous weekend and see you on Monday!

Garden update

I wish we had smell-o-vision. The jasmine is positively heady at the moment. We have it growing up a trellis with a wall fountain, covering the back gate, all along the main walkway and the newly planted bed along side the driveway.

My mother in law spent the weekend with us and on Saturday we spent the day in Carmel, CA. We had lunch at Casanova's where we sat outside in their courtyard, sipped prosecco and leisurely enjoyed our food. The food is always spectacular. I think this is the fourth or fifth time I have eaten there.

Afterwards we headed to one of our favorite nurseries in Carmel Valley – Griggs Nursery. We seriously do not need a single more plant but that never stops us.

We bought a geranium. A plant I've never had much luck with because I had them in too much sun. I have a spot where it will get morning sun and then will be in dappled shade for the hottest part of the day. So I'm confident I won't kill it this time….

We also bought a few begonias. And really don't know where they are going to go just yet. Like I said, that never stops us.

I have two short urns with succulents in them but I never really liked the colors in one of them. They were either too orange or too burgundy for my taste. So I picked out some in grayer and pinky lavender shades and replanted the pot.

See what I mean – those colors were just not working for me. Once the new ones fill in I think it will be really pretty. I kept the grey/pinkish ones and I sent the burgundy colored ones home with my mother in law and put the middle one in another pot (the greenest one in picture). The rest were kind of gangly and went in the compost bin. Ignore the rose petals. They are everywhere (and kind of charming, if you ask me).

This really is such a beautiful time of year and we are enjoying every minute we spend outside. My favorite time is early evening when the heat of the day is waning and there is a nice breeze. It's a lovely spot to sit and have a glass of wine and just smell the jasmine and the roses.

« Previous Page