Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Wishes

Thanksgiving is a busy day for all of us. I hope your turkey looks just like the one in the Norman Rockwell illustration called Freedom From Want. This painting appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post on March 6, 1943 and inspired America. It continues to inspire me. Every time I look at it I remember my grandparents and the big family get togethers of days gone by.
I added the poem below the classic image.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Swedish Baked Potatoes


Baked Hasselback Potatoes
This Swedish dish takes its name from Hasselbacken, the Stockholm restaurant where it was first served. The seasoned fancy looking potatoes turn out crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. There's nothing too fancy about these Hasselback potatoes, they are just part-sliced baked potatoes garnished with Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic and some chives. Be careful when you’re cutting them not to go all the way through the potato or you’ll just end up with sliced potatoes!

Ingredients (serves 4)
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed (leave skin on)
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
3 tbsp of olive oil
salt
pinch of smoked paprika
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
chopped chives for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220ÂșC).
Slice each potato crosswise at 1/8-inch intervals, cutting to within 1/4 inch of the bottom.
Be careful not to slice all the way through. The potato will fan out a bit as it bakes.

Combine olive oil, garlic, salt, smoked paprika and parmesan cheese in a small bowl.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Carefully insert pinches of this mixture in between the slits of the potatoes. Rub the outsides of the potatoes with residual oil.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes. The inside should be cooked through and the outside of the potato should be a bit crispy.

Garnish with additional parmesan and chives!

I like this recipe because you can bake just one in a toaster oven with a much shorter cooking time. I like the use of olive oil instead of butter. I think I might make these tomorrow. I have all the ingredients on hand. Yum.

Recipe source.


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Warming The Boots

Delightful storybook illustration by ©Kestutis Kasparavicius


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I Want This Dog Too | Video



This wonderful video for a TV advertisement was in my email today. It's fabulous. Promise me you'll watch it and get your day off to a happy start. I want a Harvey too.


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Monday, November 22, 2010

Reflection in the Loch, Scotland

An absolutely amazing reflection captured by ©Russell Snowden. My favorite armchair travel photo of the day.


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Thanksgiving Place Cards | Free Download



I made some elegant fold-over Thanksgiving place cards for you using an 18th century engraving of a Cornucopia from my antiquarian book on Royal Crests. I probably didn't leave enough room for you to write the name of your guest so you'll have to write small. Sorry. You can use card stock and turn the page around and run it through your printer again and get 6 on one sheet. You can save the image to your photo editing software and print the names on your computer. You know what to do [hopefully].
Have fun decorating your holiday table.

Here is a single place card if you want to start from scratch.

Animals Organizing A Small Space

When you are living in small underground quarters, it helps to have high ceilings. I could look at the charming illustrations in this book all day long. Since childhood, I've always imagined animals living like this.

Brambly Hedge: The Secret Staircase by Jill Barklem


image via flickr


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Sunday, November 21, 2010

Bedroom for Two Mermaids

So Sweet
I know three little girls who would be drawing straws every night to see which two got to sleep in this room. They're crazy about mermaids.

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