Jennuine

There are films that make you laugh;  films that make you cry; films that cause you to take pause, reflect and meditate on your own life; and then there are some films that inspire you to express your love and passion through cooking ~ Babette's Feast , Like Water for Chocolate , Eat Drink Man Woman , and Chocolat to name a few. After I first saw Big Night back in 1998, there was one thing I knew I must do:  make a Timpano!  As a busy, working mother of two my recipe has slowly evolved through the years to be a bit easier, quicker, and appealing to the kids, without sacrificing flavor and depth.  What  I like most about this recipe is that it is versatile (you can add any ingredients that your family enjoys), fun for the kids to help make, and is always delicious.  The presentation never fails to garner "oohs" and "ahhs". Rook No. 17 Big Night Timpano serves 6 1 pound dry spaghetti 1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce

Today we are celebrating the 12th Day of Christmas.  I'm nursing a tremendous migraine, so fortunately, this does not mean that our true love will be bestowing the gift of "twelve drummers drumming".   What it does mean is that today my family and I will celebrate Three Kings Day ; also know as Epiphany or Twelfth Night . This Christian holiday celebrates the day that the three wise men brought gifts to the baby Jesus. The legendary visit later gave rise to the custom of gift giving at Christmas on the Feast of the Epiphany, today traditionally observed on January 6. In Germany, where my father's family originated, children go from house to house on Epiphany eve, singing carols and chalking the year and initials KMB (those of the kings, Kaspar, Melchior and Balthasar), near the entrance of each home. The festive Dreikonigskuchen or Three Kings Cake is also served that night to celebrate the occasion. Since childhood I have relished all the magic and

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak"  ~ Hans Hofmann I've long held the belief in QUALITY over QUANTITY , and each year strive to further pare down the superflouous layers of my life, and focus on what is most near and dear to my heart.   This year I managed to sign-up and volunteer for less, thereby having more time to devote my love, energy and creativity to those places and people that I still chose to commit to.  My stress level decreased, my family felt more stable and happy, and my productivity increased.  One area where my participaton and time were still wildly out of control, however, was the blogosphere.    Since my blog only really started to pick up this year, I got swept up in a wave of excitment, inspiration, and fascination that led to many hours spent online that probably should have been more evenly distributed between my online and offline committments.  Have you made any New Ye

UPDATE:  Thank you for commenting and following, and thereby entering this little giveaway.  Ladies, here are your numbers: Conquer the Monkey Lee the Hot Flash Queen Foxy Caroline Marilyn Holly Kimberly Shannon Compliments of Random.org, the winner is: RANDOM.ORG Integer Widget : Min: 1 Max: 8 Result:  5 CONGRATULATIONS Marilyn!  Please email me to let me know where to send your transfer sheets. If you've ever felt inspired to try your hand at working with Chocolate Transfer Sheets, here's your chance: After writing the post" Couture Candy DIY " and ruminating over the lack of traffic in my Etsy store, I decided to go ahead and list some of the Chocolate Transfer Sheets from my inventory.  I've priced them competitively, and am offering flat rate shipping, whether you buy one sheet or 10.  Three patterns are available :  To purchase, please visit my Etsy store: the cute little shop on the corner

Whimsical, versatile, and very simple To put together, These charming candles are the perfect craft For thoughtful friends on a budget. To make one candle, assemble the following: 1 Mexican Prayer Candle (can be found at Target and many grocery stores for between $1 -$2) 1 Sheet High Quality Self-Adhesive Inkjet Paper Hostess With the Mostest Template -- or -- Happy New Year Template -- or -- your own image (approx. 6" tall) Mod Podge Fine Glitter (my favorite is Martha Stewart Antique Silver) A fine-tipped paint brush, dry A soft, loose-tipped paint brush, dry Scissors Scrapbook or vintage music paper A light weight cardboard, such as cereal box cardboard Small Single Hole Punch Ribbon (my favorite is Martha Stewart's 3/16" Piped Nylon Ribbon in "Putty"  Print your candle label and tag label on high quality self-adhesive inkjet paper. Trim label, leaving a small border to help guide you when you add the glue fo

This was the best part of my Christmas:   The looks on the girls' faces when they came down the stairs and saw the "magic" that Santa had made while they slept. What was yours?

 KITCHEN TOOLS EVERY HOME CHEF SHOULD NOT BE WITHOUT 1. SILICONE SPATULA ~ the essential tool for getting every last bit clinging to a bowl, container, or jar. The silicone spatula is non-stick, so it’s perfect for candy-making (caramels, marshmallows, etc.). They’re heat resistant (usually up to about 600 degrees f), so they’re perfect for stirring pots of hot stuff on the stove. 2. MICROPLANE GRATER ~ eliminates the need for such costly tools as a zester, nutmeg grater, and fine cheese grater. The microplane is positively the best zester for your citrus. Works beautifully on hard cheeses for a fine grate, and is a whiz with nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon sticks and fresh ginger. Makes those delicious little chocolate shavings on your hot cocoa too! 3. BENCH SCRAPER ~ makes clean-up a breeze. Great for cleaning crumbs from the table, removing flour and sticky dough from a counter or board, and carmelized bits from your stainless steel pans. You can find bench-scrapers i