The Princess on Etiquette and such!!

Introducing the new book by Princess Noraline Aubergine of Brooklynshire in the Land of New York.

My daughter and I developed this little-big book because she loved being a princess, not just pretending, but being an everyday Princess. I saw it as an opportunity to teach her about etiquette and positive living. Our hope is for little ladies around the world to use their time as a Princess to make their kingdom a better place. Tiara not included.
For little darlings age 4 to 7 - No brothers allowed!!

http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/156774-princess-in-training

This ebook is available for IPad's IBooks and print of course.

Merci, Danke, Gracias, Arigato and Thank you for stopping by.

Toujours!!!
Countess Josephine




Photo Credit: Little Princess by Cecile Graat of the Netherlands. Visit her at http://www.gracedesign.nl/

In Eggs We Trust

"ah la peanutbutter sandwiches - poof!!" - Count, Sesame Street

Cough - Cough (smoke clearing)

 I am always looking for new ways to serve eggs for breakfast or anytime of the day for that matter. This moring was no different. After waking shortly after four and doing 45 mins of yoga for my aching back I channel surfed and surfed and surfed.

With nothing interesting on cable -hmmmmm - that's a mouthful, I moved onto  netflix.

I came across a movie called Today's Special. About a trained chef with big dreams and family obligations that derail his plans. This movie has heart and a lot of food. There were many heartwarming moments throughout the movie, but the one that struck me was the enigmatic but open book taxi driver/chef, who advise our star to follow his gut and heart along with his brain when cooking.

So taking my cues from all those famous for it, I...wait for it...

IMPROVISED!! 

I decided to throw something together and it was, according to my family, different and delicious - I like thoses Ds and really it was the same old EEEEEssss.

Oven: 375 degrees

Ingredients: four eggs whipped with splash of milk, sprinkled with red salt and black pepper

Poured: in a greased muffin pan

Layered: on ready-made Pilsbury Biscuit dough (5 large split into 10)

Topped: Mild cheese and folded honey baked ham slices

Baked: 25 - 30 mins

Served: immediately

Tips: Do not overfill (gets really messy as if bubbles over) and use judgement on time as biscuits and eggs should be cooked all the way through but not burnt. Also watch salt, as ham or bacon may accomodate for that.

Ideas:
Egg, Bacon Toast Cups

Red, White & Cool

I subscribe to Martha Stewart Living and rest assured her team always comes up with the best ideas to celebrate every holiday you can imagine. The Fourth of July is no different from cupcakes to cool drinks and if it's a creation in red, white and blue with simplistic elegance, then it must be MSL.
My daughter, Miss Aubergine wanted to make cupcakes. I wanted a relaxing day off with nothing to do but lay around like the Countess that I am. So when I came across the recipe for Fruit Salad Ice Pops, an efficiency light bulb hit me over the head.

"YooHOOOOO Epiphany!!" "Why spend anytime in the kitchen making it hotter than necessary; make cool treats in honor of America's birthday and relax the whole time." - That's one smart lightbulb.



Thanking my forsight for having frozen all the fruit from the last trip to the farmer's market, (a smoothie is never too far away in our house) I gathered the necessary ingredients and tools and ...

popsicle holders - check,
popsicle molds - ahhhh no check

Miss Aubergine was playing with them and ahhh no ((shrugged shoulders)) - I guess we must improvise. I am beginning to think this blog is about improvising.

hmmmm!

Well, we have plastic cups and wooden popsicle sticks, strawberries, blueberries and white grape juice - sounds like we have a plan. As the original recipe stated, I compacted the fruit as much as possible into the cups and poured 100% grape juice in to cover. Into the freezer they went.  After an hour and a half, we served them on the stick and in bowls with a dollop of whipped cream. Thanks Martha - the kids were over joyed.

Easy tips: wedge sticks in middle of strawberries to ensure there is no movement and do not overfill - remember it expands in the freezer.

Celebrating Big and Keeping it Cool - Happy 4th Y'all!!

MSL Links and other fun pops we will be trying next:

Fruit Salad Ice Pops
Fire Cracker Pops
Striped Ice Pops
Beach Umbrella Pops

Hello Love...

Fancy a cucumber sandwich or crumpet?

Oscar, Oscar... are you there, darling?

Photo Link: Time for Tea 1 by Anissa Thompson

Cucumber and Oscar Wilde

Brunch on a Whim!

Ham and Big Bacon Bits

Giada at Home's episode of  "Go Fly A Kite", where the family goes out on a picnic was simply divine. The recipes - simple, the flavors a delight. Of the three items she made including strawberry meringue clouds, we had the ingredients to make one of the dishes "as seen on tv". But that did not stop me from making two and making it my way.

Sauteed Shallots

The original recipe is linked below along with a few items I substituted for my version of "Just Baked".

Subbed: Garlic Basil Jack for Gruyere, Ham and Bacon for Pancetta, and Roasted Tomato Italian Bread for Country Style Bread.

Brunch was delish - mangiare tutti!!  
Buon Appetito!

Brunch Is Served

LINKS:

Gruyere and Spinach Bake
giada-at-home "go-fly-a-kite"

Ni Hao Chun Kuen

Watching Bobby Bognar's (History channel television show) "Food Tech" inspired my family to create a Chinese themed dinner surprise for me



No Pastry Class Necessary

Well, surprise... surprise... I was surprised, when I got home and had the honor of making my own spring rolls and stir-fry. While well intended the skill was not there, so I pitched in as they bit off more than they could chew to pun quite frankly. Thank goodness I have a gift for cooking.

Bognar's show is as transparant as they get. If you want to know how something is made or where it comes from - he's your guy. The "Chinese Take-Out" episode showed us how to grow bean sprouts in the dark. How Peking duck is raised from incubator to restaurant window and how oysters go from eggs to becoming an accidental sauce. 

So with some fresh shrimp, cabbage, bean sprouts and mushrooms, etc., all from Chinatown in Brooklyn, we dove in.

Package Instructions

Oh! Did I mention they bought fresh spring roll shells (good thing, because helllloooo, I might have drawn the line in the pastry making dept.) The  INSTRUCTIONS SEEMED SIMPLY ENOUGH - smile - wait a minute... I have to make the filling too - aha.

My Version

We had pork or shrimp filled and veggie spring rolls every evening since Friday. My family is becoming a little obssessed with them and my technique is increasing as I indulge them. The only thing missing was the chinese take out boxes with it's familiar red pagodas.

How do you say delicious in Chinese - Yum Yum!!

The Finished Product

The LINKS - click away.

Thanks for the introduction Mr. Bognar!

Food Tech on the History Channel

Chinese Take-Out Full Episode

Quick and Easy Spring Roll Recipe

French Style Living a la New York

Latest Inspiration for French Living.

The Trickle Effect of True Love

The Heart Association had there annual wear Red Campaign a few months back and handed out all kinds of goodies. One of the heart smart promotions was Quaker oat cereal shaped like hearts in a small box. I put it in the cupboard and forgot about it. This morning for some reason, I found the box again and had a delicious and healthy breakfast. What a great morning.

Can I tell you it didn't end there. I walked my daughter to school. We held hands as we walked in the rain and laughed the whole way. People smiled as they passed us.  After dropping her to school, I quickly dashed off to work, hoping the rain would let up. Coming towards me, a handsome young couple huddled together under a small umbrella. They hugged at the corner, kissed and parted ways relunctantly. The guy turned back to get another quick glance at his love. He smiled and turned back to continue on.

Curious, I turned too. She had turned and waved to him. In the rain sans umbrella, she stood watching him walk away. They will see each other later after work - I am sure, but their actions spoke volumes.

I thought of the many times my hubby has given me a ride to work. He always makes sure I get to the door and waves before driving off. It is the last minute "good byes" and "I love yous" that make all the difference. Living everyday with out keeping any anger or animosity but love and affection.

Every love story has a scene in which , the girl and guy part ways although they love each other deeply. Both thinking "if she turns around, I know she loves me and its forever". I would like to think that this mysterious couple has that. It made me feel happy for the world, for humanity - that people still fall in love. Call me a romantic, but after eating heart shape cereal this morning, I saw love everywhere. Like ying and yang, I wish them all the best for a long and lovingly balanced relationship.

In case you are wondering the cereal was as fresh as ever, lighty sweetened and - delish!!

Love and the Cosmic Dance



LvB from wiki

That Ludwig von Beethoven was enamored with the young Countess Josephine Brunsvik von Deym, but family pressures would never allow then to marry...


JvD from Awesome Stories

and it was coincidentally during one of his most productive periods, around 1805, and as his deafness was setting in. That cosmic dance thing - had they never met perhaps he would have become deaf before he ever became inspired!

Any relation you ask? More to come.

Read More Links:

Immortal Beloved

http://www.awesomestories.com/assets/josephine-deym

http://www.beethoven.ws/loves.html

http://www.lvbeethoven.com/Amours/ImmortalBeloved.html

http://www.beethoven.com/

Shutter My Blue

As the heading above says, I am an Island Francophile with British roots rolled together with solid Americana, garnished with Asian heritage and a whisper of the Mediterranean and I love blue shutters. - Woad inspiring from around the world...

Typical Greek Window by Lukasz Brzozowski

Window in Morocco by Patryk Choinski

Blue Window in Provence by Vera Reis

Shutters France by Fred Fokkelman

French Village by Fred Fokkelman

Bright Windows in South Carolina by Roger Kirby

Burano Italy Window by Javier Rodriguez

Window in Mountains by Rodolfo Belloli

Windows From France by Michel Collot

Dolomite House Facade by Fabio Arangio

Closed Shutter - Photo from Unknown Artist in Warsaw

Wooden Blue Windows South Sweden by Fabio Arangio

O is for ORIGAMI

Origami - the Japanese art of folding paper into decorative shapes and figures.

Two weeks ago, Norah and I spent the day at Taro's Origami Studio in Park Slope (Brooklyn, NY) - We made a dog, a whale, a swan, a flying heart, a rabbit and a coat. It was so much fun, we are dying to go back.

Besides all the wonderful ways you can learn to manipulate paper into objets d'art, Origami teaches patience and if you are paying attention Geometry.

Taro's is open for birthday parties, classes and workshops for all levels (kids and adults) or just drop by for a quick fold. It is really serene even with loads of kids.

Our interest in folding paper didn't stop there. The documentary "Between the Folds" currently available on Netflix, was another stop in learning about this age old technique. The Scientific and Mathematical component of Origami will have you entranced.  You never know how much fun you can have turning a simple piece of paper into Architecture.
 It's a mystery you will enjoy because you will never look at a plain piece of paper the same way ever again.