Two-Word Tuesday

Passport Photo

We are traveling to Canada at the end of May to visit with my husband's family and I have to get my passport renewed.  While at Costco last night I had my photo taken for the new passport...and I'm not sure I will be let in to Canada or let back into the United States.  Oh dear, the photo is less than charming!  Oh well, I know the trip will be a blast and I guess that's all that really matters

Sunday Thoughts to Ponder

"Out beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing there is a field.

I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about."

-Rumi

"You have to leave the city of your comfort

and go into the wilderness of your intuition.

What you'll discover will be wonderful.

What you'll discover is yourself."

-Alan Alda

Wordless Wednesday

Two-Word Tuesday

Spring Flowers

Spring in Kanas City is filled with beautiful flowers: daffodils, tulips, forsythia, pansies, magnolia, Bradford Pear Trees and the beautifully magnificent Red Bud Trees.

I love Red Bud Trees

My husband and I plant at least 50-75 new bulbs each fall and anxiously await the Spring profusion of blooms.  My favorite has to be daffodils.  Even on cloudy days, that burst of yellow always makes me smile and it seems like no matter how many I plant
I always want to plant more.  

I would fill the world with
Spring color if I could.










All of the pictures here are from my yard or
from the park area behind our home
where we have started scattering bulbs
and wild flower seeds.
So far no one seems to mind that
we are helping Mother Nature along
just a bit

The wild violets have been moved from house to house.
I have collected them from the trails I walk around Overland Park.
They are very happy under the cluster of trees at the back of
our lot(actually it's really part of the park).  I have pure white, purple,  blue purple, red purple and even a yellow one
 from my sister's garden.  I look for them
everywhere I walk, I usually carry a big spoon and baggies
with me just in case I have to transplant from one
natural area to another.....don't tell on me!

I can hardly believe that these pansies are re-blooming from last year.  They are on my
front porch in big pots.  Nothing else that was planted in the pots lived through the winter, but
these little guys made it and have decided to brighten some otherwise pretty shabby looking pots.
I don't wan to disturb them by planting anything else just yet.  Think I'll give them a few more weeks.

What are your favorite Spring Flowers?

Where Do I Begin (part one)

I Did It; I Admit It

I can't believe what I just did! I've been experimenting with design elements, fonts, colors, etc. on my blog, trying to get the look that fits where I am right now. At this point I think I'm ok, BUT I wanted to go over my page called Cat's Tale/A Bit About Helen, and as I was working away...I deleted it. Gone, kaput, no more, I have no draft, I didn't write on paper first. I'm an idiot, a numbskull; 

just a wee bit frustrated and angry with myself right now...

I think I will take old fashioned pen to paper and try to re-create what I had previously written. Hopefully it will be better, at least that's what I'm telling myself right now.

New Necklace for Debbie

 So, my post today is really about taking a pendant a friend gave me to design the necklace from which to hang it. The necklace and pendant were a gift from her children so she wants to keep it, but she does not like where the pendant hits her body, kind of an "awkward" place as she says. 

 So I have been gathering supplies, she pretty much gave me free reign...

("just don't spend $100" is pretty much all she said).

This is the pendant.

These are all the supplies I have gathered....

I've never had a challenge quite like this. Normally I would scour the jewelry isles at local craft stores, garage sale/thrift store items I have, trinkets I have collected, things people have given me because they know I design jewelry and are so generous to give me broken bits and pieces they have and I even repurpose old jewelry of my own, try different combinations until I'm happy with a finished piece. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But good or bad, I never stop enjoying the process. So now my brain is in full gear (after some great new tea I discovered, Stash Chai White Tea)
and off I go to the kitchen table to create for Debbie.
Check back for the results....

Sunday Thoughts to Ponder

"I think everything is magic, if you just look at it that way..."

-Gobo, from Fraggle Rock

"So here hath been dawning

Another blue Day

Think wilt thou let it

Slip useless away?"

-Thomas Caryle

From My Favorite Blogs

Here's a great recipe from my friend, Chelsea.  I bet you will find even more great recipes on her blog.  ENJOY!

Monday, April 1, 2013.  

Oatmeal Butterscotch Brown Butter Bars

I did a horrible thing. About 30 minutes before my scheduled hair appointment last week I had to call and cancel. I think I've only done that seriously like twice in my life. I felt so bad, especially since I really like my stylist and she does an amazing job.

I've been working on a project at work that involves some deadlines. Unfortunately, I just ran out of time and could leave work early for my spa time. I was bummed.

I even made her cookies. They were my SIL's Oatmeal Scotchies that I shared with you awhile back. Luckily, MY co-workers happily ate the cookies so they didn't go to waste.

So over the weekend I had my make-up appointment and I couldn't go empty handed. I knew these butterscotch brown butter bars might help her forgive me for my poor planning. :)

These little bars are delicious! I think they taste like a butterscotch version of no-bake cookies. Yum.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Brown Butter Bars

Bars:
1 1/4 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal (quick cooking)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butterscotch chips (seperated)
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup dark or light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
2 tablespoons dark or light brown sugar
1 TBSP water
Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with aluminum foil so the foil hangs over the edge of the pan by a few inches. Lightly butter the foil and set pan aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Place 3/4 cup butterscotch chips in a separated medium bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until golden brown in color, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat when it turns golden to prevent burning. Pour the hot butter over the butterscotch chips and whisk together until melted and smooth. Whisk in the brown sugar, vanilla, and then the egg until mixture is smooth and combined. Add in the flour mixture and stir to combine.

Pour the mix into the prepared pan and press down to evenly cover the pan. Sprinkle with rest of the butterscotch chips (about 1/4 cup) and press down into the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes until light brown.

For the glaze, place butterscotch chips, brown sugar, water and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the mixture until melted and smooth; about 2 minutes taking out to stir a few times during the process. Use a fork or small whisk to fully combine.

After removing bars from the oven, drizzle the glaze over the warm bars. Allow bars to cool completely before using the foil 'handles' to lift the bars from the pan. Cut into squares and serve!

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

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