It's Getting To Be That Time Of Year Again...

I'm sorry if I am the first to say it but..

the holidays are approaching fast!

Looks like there will be a few warm fall days ahead, so I plan to soak them up and play in the yard as much as possible!

Besides,I have so much work left to do outside... before I can start my inside projects ...while also planning next spring's projects....eye-yi-yi-yi-yi  

:p

I'm not much into the "Gothic" Halloween thing so I think I might try these stencils from Birds and Blooms Magazine

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Gardening/Fall/Halloween-Stencils

Or this cute flower idea from Real Simple Magazine

http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/halloween/new-uses-halloween-items-00000000006103/page3.html

But in case I lose my motivation to carve,these are clever..

http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/halloween/easy-no-carve-pumpkins-00000000043701/page4.html

OH and that Rachael Ray can be so inspiring..

I love the almond and berry flower cake deco,I think it would also be cute on cupcakes.

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/video-how-to/how-to-cook/Good-to-Know-Techniques/how-to-decorate-a-cake

You know that Christmas will sneak upon us too!

So be prepared!

Start now!

Grab up cheap end of summer deals on candles,lotions and other stocking stuffers.

Scan the last few weeks of the Farmer's Market for unique gifts. 

(I bet locally made honey,soaps and spices will be a nice treat on a cold winter day :))

Schedule holiday photo session.

Start shopping for or making cards.They take time you won't have after Halloween.

(Don't argue-November and December are come and gone in what feels like 3 weeks remember?)

Sorry for the mini heart attack but...somebody had to do it.

You're welcome in advance

:)

Beans, Beans, The Musical Fruit...

Today I want to talk about food. I had fun cooking and tasting a few new foods today and thankfully it all turned out delish!
First of all,my new fascination is cooking with wine. Most all alcohols make me ill so I had never learned much about wine. The lemon artichoke chicken recipe I tried last week called for a dry white wine so for the first time ever,I bought a bottle. It added a savory rich flavor to the chicken and spiked my curiosity to use it more often. I used this recommended brand,Buckley's Cove and I got it CHEAP at Grocery Outlet.

I finally found quinoa (keen-wa) earlier this month and have patiently waited for an opportunity to try it...

I also went on a bean buying spree last week-black,black eye,pinto,split pea,soup blend...to name a few. I have a theory that beans are one of the keys to healthy frugal living. At 69 cents per bag,I am feeling a bit validated so far...
 Then I saw a cook on TV make turkey and Brie turnovers-it looked too easy! I headed on a quest to find pastry sheets. I returned with 3 boxes of them and a box of phyllo dough just in case.The cook on TV made an orange glaze to drizzle over her turnovers,it looked good but my mind turned immediately to  cranberries. Could I make a cranberry sauce out of jellied cranberries? I needed to know. These turnovers suddenly sounded too good to be true!

 So this all leads me to tonight's dinner..

Mixed bean soup with quinoa and veggies-I had been told that beans were a pain because of the soaking and cooking. Not true! Yes they do require an hour of soaking and a few hours of cooking but they are so worth it! Easy and cheap. Then I added sauteed garlic,onion and green pepper,homemade chicken broth frozen from last chicken,a little crookneck squash,1/2 cup of quinoa, a crazy mix of everything from canned mushrooms to dried veggie mix and some turkey. It was a thick hearty soup,perfect for this rainy day and cost me less than $5 to make! Quinoa is fun but strange. It's tiny little clear balls,similar to but smaller than tapioca, that kinda taste like rice and barley.

Quinoa is supposed to be a low fat and healthy "superfood"...but I think I will stick to rice and barley.

Turkey & Brie Turnovers- These look and taste impressive but are shamelessly easy to make! Defrost puff pastry and cut each sheet into 4 triangle pieces. In the middle of each triangle put diced turkey and a slice of Brie. Egg wash (another first for me-egg and a tsp of water) the edges and fold the pastry triangle in half.Press edges with a fork to seal and finish with a light egg wash on top. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Best eaten with hands and dipped in cranberry reduction...

Cranberry reduction ( a Cara original)-Empty one can of jellied cranberry sauce into a sauce pan. Add 1/4 of water and heat on medium while whisking the jellied cranberries into a liquid.Add a splash of white wine (this stuff is sooo much more fun to cook with than drink!),a big pinch of brown sugar and a pinch of salt to taste. Whisk and reduce for 5-10 minutes. Del was licking it off his empty plate..it was that good :)

I also made cupcakes and cookies but I have made those many times before..
I love to play with food.
Back to work tomorrow....

I Am Hairdresser,Hear Me Roar

 After 14 years in the hair business,it's days like today when I am reminded that being a hairdresser isn't WHAT I am..it's WHO I am. Although it doesn't pay much and at times can be more stressful than my medications can overcome...I love it. Sometimes I dream about a fancy job where I get paid big bucks to do little work....but that's just not the real me. I am a Hairdresser and darn proud of it. Let me share with you why..

9am- "Sara" arrives. She is a client I have known for 10 years with the most beautiful,healthy, long red hair you have ever seen. She is ready to donate 12" of it to Locks Of  Love but is understandably a little nervous. I reassured her that some little girl will be delighted to have a wig of her amazing hair,she agreed. Two large braids to donate and a new shoulder length haircut later..she danced out the door smiling and repeatedly thanking me. I laugh and remember that they also pay me to do this..

10 am- "Betty" is waiting with her usual smile. She's a hip 70ish year old and she makes me laugh the whole time we are together. She usually doesn't have me style her hair after her haircuts but last time I insisted that she let me "treat" her to a dry and curl.Before Betty was even seated in my chair today,she had started to tell me that her husband had noticed her new "do" last time. She explained her husband is not the mushy type but he had gone gaga over her hair. It was the first time in a very LONG time that he had told her how beautiful she was! She thanked me over and over for making her feel and look beautiful.Yes I could tell you that every woman should be reminded regularly of how beautiful they are,despite a hair do or a new outfit but not all women are.That doesn't mean they don't feel loved and happy..it just means that when a rare compliment IS made..they savor it for a very long time. I'm just thankful I could help as I thanked her in return..for reminding me once again,why I love what I do.

11am-"Cindy" is a favorite client of mine. 50ish years old and she works 2 jobs as a Nurse and Ordained Minister. She has great stories and funny jokes. We complained to each other about the poor gardening season. I shared my disappointment that I had promised her Basil but this year it just didn't grow. She sympathized as she is mourning the loss of a huge Rosemary plant she relied on for so many of her recipes.It's so nice to have gardening friends that share my woes! ;P

12pm-I spent the next 3 hours with "Debbie". I colored and highlighted every strand of her thick,curly hair. Bye bye gray! That almost 60 year old left looking somewhere in her 40's. And they say there is no "Fountain Of Youth"? HA! Yes there is!It's in my backroom!

3pm- The last appointment of the day and I am happily surprised to see "Sheila" returning for a 2nd time. Sheila is one of my hair mentors and I admit that I get a little star struck and dorky nervous when I see her. She is a local Beautician who wrote a book of short stories about her 20 years in the business. I love her book and I had spent most of my evenings reading it while we were camping last week. Today she is ready for a new short style. She explains her requests and concerns and then tells me to have at it ..and have fun with it. I cut, textured and shaped her hair with no fear. It was only our 2nd meeting but the conversations are so great I'm pretty sure we could chat for hours without pause. A few good laughs and about 30 minutes of creative freedom later she loved it! It was "Exactly what I wanted..like you read my mind!" and I was relieved. Sheila gave me a gift today and I'm not too sure she knows it. We were chatting about the "magnetic qualities" you should have to be successful in this business. She said that my "magnetic qualities" were that I am confident,happy and non judgmental. I am known to have a soft heart for most all living things..even people (haha) but it was the first time someone had ever said that I was non judgmental. It meant a lot coming from someone with as many years of experience as her. I hope her perception of me is a popular opinion :)

4pm-Day over. Off to share a relaxing evening with my cute boyfriend.

I like days like this,it's chicken soup for my soul.
It's about so much more than hair...and yet it's all about the hair.
I don't want this to ever feel like "another day at the office",no matter how stressful it can be.
I want to be sure to appreciate all the awesome little parts of my days and the wonderful people that I get to meet.
I am a Hairdresser and darn proud of it.

Chatty Cathy-Friday's Foods & Finds

 It was a great to have a few sun filled days off this weekend! I started my weekend with a much overdue trip to Four Corners Goodwill. Usually when the mood to thrift strikes me,my frugal intuition is validated by a great find! But this time...not so much. I got a few cute eclectic colorful things for the yard..a square mirror with a colorful tile frame,a few little watering cans,a basket for magazines in the bathroom and a few pretty glass jars. The largest of the glass jars(1' wide X 2' deep bubbled clear glass) I turned into a birdbath (I think it's really a hurricane style candle holder). I had a glass flower bowl that fit nicely on top,added a little water and wah la! A cute little birdbath for $4! Here birdie birdie...The watering cans were filled with Hens and Chicks and the mirror sits on a bench in the side yard for now..(I still move things daily until I get it juuust right). I know Fall is here but can you blame me for clinging to the last bits of our mysterious summer?!Since the sun was shining I decided to do a little yard work. I pulled the corn stocks from the garden and hung them to dry for later holiday decorating. Then I got out the pruners and yard waste bin and went to work. Before I knew it I had weeded and pruned most of my flowers and squash to a near  bonsai size. I felt better about fall after pruning away the dead summer flowers and leaves to reveal the new seedlings still trying to hit a growth spurt before the first frost. I transplanted and snuggled in some new starts for next spring. Our collection of Succulents and Hens and Chicks is doubling every year!Ok so I guess Fall isn't so bad...I'd kinda given up on summer anyway...

After a long day of thrifting and yard work I decided to go out to eat. We went to the local Thai Restaurant and ordered the "Dinner For 2" in an attempt to have what we call a "food adventure". It was 5 courses of delicious Thai food and a fun eating experience! We both enjoy the palate guessing game..
"What's in this?"
"Is that Tofu? I thought it was chicken for a second...Ew."
"Hmm,mushrooms,how did they make them not taste like dirt?"
"Hello coconut milk..."
"Perhaps I was wrong about curry.."
We'll be back...

I think I  forgot to mention the stop I made at CJ's Bakery in Black Diamond on my way home? Silly me :) It was my first visit and I was immediately intoxicated by the small of fresh bread and pastries. I left with Canolli filled with home made whip cream,a chocolate peanut better torte and little cake they call the Chocolate Lover. So..2 hours after 5 courses of Thai we ate a 3 course dessert . We sampled each and agreed the little chocolate cake was the best. The cake melted (yes literally melted!!!) in your mouth! I have never had cake do that before,it was divine! So rich that we left each dessert half uneaten,thankfully they were just as good Saturday night :)

Wow,all that rambling and that was only one day of my weekend! Chatty Cathy..haha
Off to bed...........before I am tempted to continue...
Nite

Ramblings

I just returned from 8 days of vacation,worked 2 days and now I have 2 days off...?
Awesome :)

Probably a good idea considering that I am still nursing a stiff back and a HUGE PURPLE BRUISE on my bum after falling off the back steps. No really..this is the biggest bruise I have ever seen (even my coworkers agree) and I am still shocked that I didn't break anything! I have even considered taking a photo..but then there's that part about it being on my bum....

Did you know you can toast marshmallows on a skewer with the broiler in your oven? Mmmm...s'mores anytime! You're welcome in advance ; P
(Can you say "camping withdrawals"?)

Oh lookey here..I found a new recipe to try on Food Network.com
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aida-mollenkamp/lemon-chicken-with-artichoke-hearts-recipe/index.html
Lemon Chicken With Artichoke Hearts
This looks easy and fun for the palette!

Sekiu Family Vacation

We survived 7 days of camping,fishing and beach exploring in Sekiu WA. The weather was rainy and the fishing was just as dim but we still managed to have an awesome time! L to R-My Mom Sandi,Dad Jim,Brother Jim, Vern and I on "Dale's Beach".

This was camp for the week. On the left is the "Condos" that include a space heater AND running water (just don't drink it!)! Do you love the "Deluxe Double Kitchen"? Hehe We cooked all of our meals over an open fire...mmmmm!.On the menu? How about fresh caught salmon and mushrooms picked from the beautiful Northwest rain forest? Fancy yes I know.

 

Or perhaps you prefer a romantic lunch for 2?

How about Steak with a side of Cheese Whiz and Crackers?

Sooo romantic! I love my silly boyfriend!

 

 

And did I mention the "spa" facilities? Haha! Looks like (below) Mom treated herself to an "Awakening Hose Water Hair Rinse"   whadda trooper! I personally preferred the "Big Pot Of Hot Water Under The Stars" showers in front of the campfire. Sorry no pics of that...don't think Vern didn't try!

Now that you've had a tour,I will share photos of us enjoying some the fun activities and sights from our little bit of paradise-

 

Not much will stop us from agate hunting! Vista Beach is worth the crawl!

  

Beach butterflies

  

The beach where we found a ton of sea glass on Mom and I's adventure day!

  

My Dad doing what he loves best-FISHING!

Happy Fishermen!

Pouring down rain...Vern holds my pink umbrella over my Dad while he finishes cleaning the fish. Now that's love! Haha What's wrong Vern? You don't want your picture taken with the pink umbrella? It matches your pink beach bucket(see below)! LOL

To be fair here's a picture of me after 5 days of camping-no make up or hair tools for 7 whole days!

So after a long dreamy vacation we packed up our sea treasures..

and headed home along Lake Cresent.

We decided after a few hours to stop and get some lunch. As we pulled into the parking lot of a small road side restaurant the sign read "Fat Smitty's Burgers"...I was hoping this was a yummy reward for my 7 days of cooking and cleaning.....so we went in.

What. The. Hell.. is this place? Dollar bills covered every inch of the walls with business cards,photos and I.D.'s. Oh boy. We were still in shock when the waiter came to take our order. He suggested the "Fat Smitty Burger" and we all shook our heads in agreement,I think we were still in shock trying to take it all in. Dad was smart,he opted for a bowl of clam chowder. As we waited we heard the story of how 26 years ago a business man left his card and a dollar bill to stuck to the wall. The place is wild,some places are 5-8 bills thick and hanging from EVERYWHERE! Then..we all start to ask the same question "What exactly is a Smitty Burger"? Our answer arrived shortly after and we were in greasy,beefy Heaven...

Sorry for the blur but I think my Brother was giddy with excitement too! 15 minutes later I surrendered to the burger only conquering half...oh but it was goooood. I left a business card and a dollar on the wall.
I'll be back.

Lastly tonight I will leave with some rainbow photos I took that I just love :) Enjoy!

PS-
For those of you who haven't seen it,I thought I'd also share the photo of Vern with his pink beach bucket!

"You better NOT be taking a picture of this!"

I love you :p

Did You Miss Me?

We're home!

Back to a

hot shower

flushy toilet

our bed

and all the other 

dry

warm

conveniences of home

:)

Back to reality tomorrow,

back to work.

It was 7 busy days of camping and beach combing.

I mentally checked out so far...
 that it just might take me a few days

to get back.

That...is an awesome feeling!

I brought home buckets of 

shells 

 rocks

sea glass

driftwood 

coral

a tiny starfish

and Wilson!

(Wilson is the sad faced rock I forgot on the beach last time...

yet he was still there on the log waiting for me when I came back!

This time I was sure not to forget him!)

I took hundreds of photos.

Please be patient though,

I will get posting as soon as I can!

I have stories to tell and pictures to share!

Stay tuned

:)

Ok Just One More

I am exhausted. We shopped at Winco,Petco,Cash & Carry,Grocery Outlet,Work Sports And Outdoors,Safeway and 2 Walmarts in the last 2 days. PLUS my Parents and brother went to Costco (we headed home to start cooking and smoking the meat). I am pretty sure we have enough food to feed 5-8 of us for 7 days! We got Chipper a cute little yellow rain coat and some "Calming" dog treats for the trip.He's not loving the rain coat so far but I know he won't care when we get to the beach.As for the treats,they are more for us than him! He gets so crazy hyper it's hard at times to take him anywhere. Why didn't anyone tell me about these cute little doggie downers before?! So we'll see how well they work...

I feel relieved as the stress of shopping is off my shoulders.The family is all here safely and I am mostly packed. I guess I am blogging all of this because I needed to take a mental inventory of the last 2 days. It has been a whirlwind! I go back to work tomorrow..wondering where my 2 days off went, yet looking forward to 8 more coming so soon I can barely stand it!

Tomorrow my Father turns 69.Happy Birthday Dad! My Parents are some of the best parents I know of. They have worked 7 days a week to provide a happy life for their kids.I am so grateful that each year I get to spend my Dad's birthday fishing with him. It's my turn to support and enjoy doing what he loves and my Dad loves fishing!It's also nice to see my Mom put her feet up and read a book. At home she is constantly busy cooking,cleaning,volunteering...she never stops! I love the mornings her and I have spent on the beach-barefoot and drinking coffee,looking to see what gifts the tide had washed up for us that day.Let's hope for many of those mornings plus a few coolers full of fishing stories to keep my Dad happy until next year. :)

Until tomorrow..or maybe next week..
Happy Blogging :)

Let's Try Venting...It Beats Counting Sheep

It's late and I know I should be in bed but...I have a million things on my mind! Perhaps if I vent and blog a little I will feel better...
 That damn boat,long story short it has a broken cylinder. Nice. We leave for fishing in 4 days and that friggin boat decides to start malfunctioning!?  So poor Vern was at it again,tearing apart the motor and calling for parts. $300 later the part will be here Monday at 10am and we are leaving around 4pm.I hope it works! It's been one expensive thing after another since we brought it home and we haven't even gotten fishing licenses yet!Plus (yes I'm almost done..) we can't tow out our fancy camper(that we haven't gotten to use much this year) to stay in (then everyone would have their own trailer) because we have to tow the boat out!Ugh!

My new definition of "recreational vehicle"-an object you pay for 12 months a year while feeling guilt because you only use that object 5 times a year while it breaks 10 times a year.Usually justified by the fun times had while enjoying such object at first and then slowly becomes overcome by a feeling of burden over time.

 Tomorrow starts early,a 9 am appointment to do hair on my day off and make some side cash. I have an appointment with the highly recommended "Jimmy" for a nail fill and pedicure at noon. I can't remember the last time I had a pedicure and I don't think I have ever had a fill and pedi at the same time! The pedicure will be done by someone else but I am hoping Jimmy will work some magic on the bad nails I got 2 weeks ago. Oh happy girly pamper time! 1/2 a Xanax and a gossip magazine,does it get any better than that?LOL! I am going to relax and enjoy every minute because I know it will be the last quiet moment to myself for a few days.

After my precious "Me" time I will be off to the races! Shopping for supplies and running errands then rushing home to greet my parents as they arrive. Off to the airport Saturday morning to get my brother and then more shopping,packing,cooking and prepping. Work Sunday and Monday and then off to Sekiu Monday night. Whew! I have so much to do...in only 2 days off! Hopefully I will be drinking coffee on the beach Tuesday morning before I know it :)

I feel better,thanks for listening! I am finally tired enough to go to bed...
I can't promise much blogging before I leave ....but  I can promise that the pictures I will bring home will be worth the wait ;)

A Year of Slow Cooking: Slow Cooker Creamy Turkey Dinner Recipe

A Year of Slow Cooking: Slow Cooker Creamy Turkey Dinner Recipe

Wordless Wednesday-The Random Cara Archives