Farfalle (Bow Tie Pasta) With Asparagus, Hard Boiled Eggs and Parmesan Cheese

When I was discussing what to have for dinner on Easter Sunday with my daughter, she mentioned a dish that her friend and former boss used to make.  She said it was absolutely wonderful with ham, so of course, I insisted that she make it for us (and it was one less thing I had to make).    She did and I have to share the recipe with you because it is wonderful.  It could even be a stand alone dish for a meatless meal.

Holly went to New York City right after graduating from Webster Conservatory in St. Louis.  She was a musical theater major and wanted to experience the Big Apple.  We put her on a plane, one of the hardest things I have ever done, and watched her fly into the sunset.  Don't get me wrong, we wanted her to live her dreams as we wished for all of our children - she was just the first one to go.  Her friend had rented an apartment for them to share.  She had never been there, didn't know how to get there and there were no cell phones then.  The cab driver, who was also new to NYC, couldn't find the address and they drove around for hours trying to find her new abode.  She arrived at 2 am, somewhat hysterical.  I on the other hand, was approaching a nervous breakdown because we had not heard from her.  When she finally called in tears, I was so relieved that I cannot even begin to tell you how relieved!  And so, her adventures began.  Her sister and brother joined her there eventually.  It was not quite as traumatic the second and third time around because she was there to greet and guide them.  It did get a little easier for us as each one of them went to live their dreams.  Since then, they have been all over the place.  We just go with the flow.

During her time in the city, she worked for a woman by the name of Faye Hess who owned the Long Island City Brick Co. Cafe in Long Island City.  Faye taught her to cook wonderful meals as the Lucy and Ethel pair greeted and served the surrounding neighbors on a daily basis.  The cafe was a quaint little place with a plethora of regular daily customers.  It was like watching a tv show as the regulars came and went, as they shared triumphs and tragedies.  We visited there on several occasions, even sang Christmas carols one year for all the neighbors at the cafe.   Dan played his guitar and the rest of us joined in - sort of like the Partridge family folk style.   It is quite a memory.

Faye was so good to Holly and taught her a lot.  Faye has a blog called FayeFood.com and a website called Dinnerlist.com if you are interested in some amazing recipes and insights into food.  She was recently a participant on Chopped on the Food Network also.  Holly and Faye have remained friends through the years, even though they have traveled many different paths since the days at The Long Island Brick Co. Cafe.  Faye also teaches cooking in Italy in the Tuscany region and in France.  You really might want to check her out!

Anyway, back to this wonderful dish we had on Sunday.  Talk about a good side dish for ham, especially when you want something other than potatoes.  YUMMMMO as Rachel Ray likes to say.  It is an easy dish to fix.  Here is what you need:

 Ingredients:

1 lb. farfalle pasta (bow tie pasta)
1 bunch asparagus
3 cloves garlic
6-12 hard boiled eggs
fresh or grated parmesan cheese
olive oil

Cook the pasta according to directions.  Drain and drizzle with olive oil to keep it from sticking together.
In a large saute pan, add enough olive oil to saute the asparagus.  Remove the pithy ends from the asparagus spears.  Cook the 3 whole cloves of garlic just enough to perfume the olive oil and remove from pan.  Add the asparagus and cook just enough to still be crisp and bright green.  Remove from the pan.  Place the pasta in a large casserole dish, scatter the asparagus over the pasta.  Peel the hard boiled eggs and crumble with your hands, scattering them over the pasta and asparagus.   Use as many eggs as you like.   If you are using fresh parmesan cheese, make long ribbons of cheese with a vegetable peeler all over the top of the hardboiled eggs.  If using grated, use several hands full and scatter over the hard boiled eggs.   That's it!  Serve and enjoy.  OH SOOOO GOOD.  I certainly could eat it just by itself for a meal.

This is a wonderful recipe that I am so happy to have discovered.  With fresh and tender spring asparagus starting to come it, we will certainly be enjoying this again and again.  If you wanted to add some chopped ham to the dish, you certainly could and then you would have a one dish dinner that would be so easy to prepare.  It's also a great way to use some of those left over Easter eggs you may have in your refrigerator.

Thanks Holly for sharing this recipe from Faye.  I certainly appreciated getting to enjoy this delicious dish on Sunday, and am thankful to be able to share the recipe with all of you.  Give it a try, you are going to like it a lot!  Maybe some day I will get to go to Tuscany and take a class with Faye.  Who knows?  Anything is possible.  I certainly never thought I'd make it to New York City as many times as I did.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

You know, when you get your first asparagus, or your first acorn squash, or your first really good tomato of the season, those are the moments that define the cook's year. I get more excited by that than anything else.
Mario Batali

This Beautiful Tomato Salad Is Fantastic!

Well hello, it's Monday again.  Again!  Where is the week going?  How does Monday roll around so fast?  Is it because our lives are so busy or because it's my age?  Everyone always said the older you get the faster time seems to go.  I don't think I really want to know the answer to this question.  When and how did we have time to go to work and raise a family?  Retirement may be the busiest season of our lives.  It really is a conundrum.

I didn't even have time to post much last week because of all the preparations for the Easter weekend.  I hope yours was fabulous!  Ours certainly was.  We had a big Easter egg hunt for the grandsons on Sunday and dinner afterwards.  We had an absolute ball watching all the little guys running around our big yard looking for all the things hidden there for them.  Our two year old grandson was breaking open the plastic eggs as fast as he found them spilling contents all over the ground.  He bit into a chocolate rabbit foil wrapper and all.  It was hilarious.  The weather was absolutely perfect and it was one of the most splendid days I can remember.

After several hours of outdoor fun, we were finally able to wrangle all the boys inside for lunch.  I have to say, lunch was also memorable.  There were some golden oldies on the menu and several new recipes which will all be keepers!

On Saturday, we made a trip to the Farmer's Market to see what delectable fare they had to offer and they did not disappoint!  There was so much great produce that had just arrived from Florida and it was hard to resist buying some of everything.  What I did purchase were fresh green beans,  potatoes, green tomatoes for frying, grape tomatoes, and fresh corn that was absolutely divine.  The variety was called peaches and cream and oh my, it was so good.  I will post about that later in the week.

Today, I want to tell you about this awesome rustic tomato salad that is a Jamie Oliver recipe and my new favorite way to eat tomatoes.  Wow, it's good and oh so easy.  The grape tomatoes were sweet and juicy and fantastic.  If you grow little tomatoes in the summer, this will be a perfect way to eat them!

Here is what you need:

2 pints of grape tomatoes (original recipe calls for cherry tomatoes, but these were perfect)
your favorite olives (I used kalamata olives - yum)
some red wine vinegar
olive oil
fresh basil

This is how you make the salad.

Put the tomatoes in a bowl and kind of squish them with your hand to rupture some of them.  If your olives have pits, press them with your thumb on a cutting board and remove the pits.  If they are pitted, squeeze them with your hand to rupture them.  No chopping, very rustic.  You need about 1/2 a cup of olives, more if you want.  Sprinkle the tomatoes and olives with some red wine vinegar.  Sprinkle some olive oil over the tomatoes and olives, enough to lightly coat.   Tear about a hand full of basil leaves and add to tomatoes and olives.  Mix lightly until everything is coated with olive oil.  The original recipe calls for arugula also.  I didn't have any, so I skipped it and I don't think it made one bit of difference.  This salad was fantastic!  This is now my new favorite way to eat grape tomatoes and we will be having this salad again and again.  You could also add some chunks of fresh mozzarella if you wanted.

This salad is also visually appealing.  The colors are beautiful and makes you want to dive right in.  Writing about it makes me want to run to the kitchen and eat a bowl full right now - yeah, it's that good.

I hope you will try this salad because I think you will like it as much as we did.  It is easy, beautiful and delicious.  There is sweetness from the tomatoes and basil, and a little tanginess and saltiness from the red wine vinegar and olives with the finish of that lovely olive oil.  It is a perfect side for just about any meal.   What more could you ask for?

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

When everyone was leaving after all the fun, our 5 year old grandson said thanks Grandma and Pawpaw, it was the best Easter of my life!  Now, how sweet is that?  Makes all the work well worth the effort.   We sure love those little guys.

Egg Shaped Chickadees Made From Felt

Last week I saw these adorable little felt "egg chickadees" as I like to call them on Pinterest.  They were designed by Kata Golda and were featured on Petite Purls.  They captured my heart and with Easter right around the corner, I wanted to make them for our grandson's easter baskets.  They are so adorable!  They take a bit of time since they are hand stitched, but I am making them in all different colors.  Our 5 year old grandson LOVES little toys to carry around with him and he's going to egg-specially love these!   These chickadees will make a really cute keepsake and colorful addition to their baskets for the egg hunt!

I freehanded my own pattern and it looks like this.  The body looks like an egg shaped boat propeller.  Each "egg" is 3 inches long from the center point to the end point and 1 5/8 inches wide.  You could use an egg to trace your basic shape if you can't draw something freehand.    I drew the wing so it would fit on the body and the tail looks like a little pennant.

Sorry, I'm not very computer savvy or I would make it so you could download  and print it.

Here is what you need:

felt in any color
embroidery thread to match the color felt you are using
stuffing
sewing needles

I used this thread which I had on hand and it is a bit heavy, but worked okay.  Three strands of embroidery thread is what  you need to use if you have it.

Cut the pattern pieces out and pin them on a piece of felt.  Cut out one body, two wings and a tail for each chickadee.  Cut a tiny triangle for the beak.

Begin by sewing the face on.  Starting about 1/3 of the way down on one side, sew the beak on with tiny stitches in each corner of the triangle.  Be sure to knot your thread to begin and knot it off when finished stitching, making sure the knots are on the under side.

Next, make a french knot on either side of the beak for the eyes.

With the "face" side facing you, pull the seams together on one back piece and the matching front seam. Using a blanket stitch, stitch from bottom to top, making sure knots are on the inside.  When you reach the top, knot your thread on the back side of the piece.  Repeat with opposite seam.

Place a wing piece on each side panel so that it would look like a bird's wing and stitch with a running stitch.  (I used an over/under stitch which actually takes longer.  Don't ask me why.)

Now for the final seam.  Pull back seams together and stitch all 3 seams together at the bottom and continue to stitch up back seam about 1/2 inch using blanket stitch.  Fold the tail piece in half and insert in the back seam, attaching with a few tiny stitches.  Continue blanket stitch for another 1/2 inch.  Stuff your bird until it has an egg shape.  Finish stitching the seam closed.  Knot at the top and run the thread back down the seam  and clip it.

You now have one cute hand made felt egg shaped chickadee!  THEY ARE SO CUTE!  It's not that hard and so worth the effort.  These will make perfect little hand held toys, something to carry in their pocket or a thoughtful little gift.  Have fun with these!  Now, I have to get back to work.  Lots more chickadees to finish before Sunday.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

articles.latimes.com/1997-01-31/news/ls-23885_1_needle-crafts

Jan 31, 1997 – Medical studies have proved that doing needlework actually lowers your blood pressure as it calms and focuses you.

Bunny Napkin Folds For Your Table

Well, it's Monday again.  Hope you had a wonderful weekend!  We sure did.  The weather was spectacular and we enjoyed every moment of it.  All of the in town family came over for breakfast on Saturday morning and I did an egg craft with the two older grandsons that turned out really cute.  The two toddlers played in the yard and the baby ate and slept as babies will do.  We had a grand old time.  We were just sorry our New York Grandson did not get to join us.

Since it's countdown to Easter Sunday, Grandma has a lot to do here at the little yellow cottage.  We will have a big old egg hunt on Sunday followed by dinner.  That means I started preparations today!  I wanted to finish things for the table first, so I did my bunny napkin folds.  There are lots of directions on the world wide web, but I found Martha Stewart's to be the easiest to follow.   Fortunately, I found some lovely pink napkins at World Market last week.  Whew, that was a close one.  Thought I was going to have to make them.

Before we moved to Nashville, I worked at the local casino at home as the floral designer and event decorator.  Therefore, I have folded LOTS of napkins.  The difference between a nice table and an outstanding table can sometimes boil down to the napkin fold.  It always made me so happy when a bride walked in to her reception room and was overwhelmed with joy at the sight of her beautifully decorated room.  It was lots of work, but well worth it.

Grandma likes to do things for all the grandsons to enjoy, especially for holidays.  We are making memories here.   Don't you have things you remember with great fondness?  That's what we are doing.  Someday, they will tell a story about a time at Grandma and Pawpaw's house and remember all the good times we shared.  Let me show you how to do these cute little bunny napkins.  You might want to make some memories too.

First, press all your napkins.  Then, lay one out flat on a table.

Grasp the two bottom outside corners and fold the bottom up 1/3 of the way.

Grasp the top two corners and fold them 1/3 of the way down, making a large rectangle.

Now, you need to find the center.  Fold the rectangle in half and "press" with your hand.  In sewing terms, that is called finger pressing.  This is where you find out your square napkin isn't very square.  So tug around until you get it as even as possible.  Good luck.

When you open the rectangle up, you will see a center fold.

Grasp the right upper corner and fold the napkin down along the center line.

Repeat on the left side.

Grasp the right lower corner, and fold the napkin up along the center line.

Repeat on the left side.

Grasp the right corner of the "diamond" shape and fold to center.

Repeat with left side.

Grasp the napkin tightly and rotate and flip.  Bottom to top and turn over.

See how you have two separate "ears" at the top and then a fold about 1/3 of the way down.  Perfect.  Now, fold the bottom point up.

Grasp the napkin tightly and turn over.  Martha suggests placing one fold inside the other.  We would have done that at the casino and that would have been fine.  We, on the other hand, have lots of little hands, so I have a trick to show you.

I have a package of colored hair pins from the Dollar Tree that I use to make hair bows.

I took the pink hair pins and placed one between the folds on the back of each napkin.

Push it all the way up, flat with the edge of the napkin.  Now, if a curious little hand grabs one, it won't come all apart before we eat dinner!   Turn the napkin over and turn the two ears to face you, instead of each other.  Now, Little Bunny Foo Foo is read to sit on the table.

Isn't he cute?  Adorable.  This may seem really complicated to you, but once you fold one, the others will be easy.  If you need further instructions, go to Martha Stewart and type in bunny napkin fold in the search.  They have sketches that show the folds.  This is how the table looks at the moment.

There are hand painted place mats with the Peep tree in the center sitting on an egg shaped platter.  Bunny napkins sit all around the table and just WAIT until I show you how to make those cute little "egg chicks" that are in the first picture.  They will be our Easter favor this year.  Come back tomorrow to find out how.  Talk to you later.

Every Day Donna

Things to Remember:

Thought you might find this interesting.

Why Did Jesus Fold The Napkin? Why did Jesus fold the napkin? Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin. 1. Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.  2. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!" 3. Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see.  4. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first.  5. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.  6. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there,  7. while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side. Is that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes! In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished. Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done". But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because..........  The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"

How To Make A Paper Pinwheel

If you read yesterday's post about my mantel banner inspired by kites, you know that there are also pinwheels on the mantel  They are made from scrapbook paper and are so easy to make.  Pinwheels are another favorite from childhood, especially if they were shiny.  I saw a poster recently that said some girls are born with glitter in their veins.  That would be me!  My motto has always been if it sparkles, it's good.

I tried to find some information about pinwheels and no one seems to know who first made or manufactured them other than they were made in the 19th century.   It's rare not to find more information about something on the web these days.  What I did find though, was there is an organization called Pinwheels for Peace and that pinwheels are also the official symbol for combating child abuse - Pinwheels for Prevention.  That is something I did not know.  There was an article from today's date that said Greenville, SC, has created many pinwheel gardens around their town to remind people to be aware of child abuse and the harm it does and to help work towards its prevention.  This is Child Abuse Prevention Month.  Now, there are two great projects that are using pinwheels as their symbol!  Pinwheels for Peace recommends writing words of peace on your pinwheels and displaying them in yards and parks.  I am all for that!  Any and everything to remind us to think peace and help prevent child abuse by using the pinwheel as  a symbol is awesome.  They are so beautiful spinning in the wind.  Every time I see one now, I will think peaceful and loving thoughts and send prayers to those who have been affected by abuse in their young lives.  I am going to have to work on some pinwheels for out of doors.  I like the idea of Pinwheels for Peace and Pinwheels for Prevention very much.  You may see pinwheels sprouting in a yard, garden or park somewhere near you soon.  We will all look at them differently now.

The pinwheels on our mantel are merely decorative, they are not attached to a stick so they can spin.  They are so easy to make.  You could use construction paper, two sided scrapbook paper, or one sided decorative paper like I used.  How cute would they be for a baby or wedding shower?  You could attach them to colorful drinking straws which would be inexpensive and display them in vases, or make small ones and put them on toothpicks to decorate cupcakes.  They can be made in any size.  I had a major idea just now to use them for napkin rings by gluing small pinwheels to a colorful ponytail holder and wrapping it around napkins for the dinner table.  There are so many creative and colorful ways to use pinwheels.  Here is how you make one.

First, you need paper cut in a square - any size square, the principle will be the same for all sizes.  Mine are cut in 6 inch squares.  I had a piece of cardboard that size that came out of some kind of package, so I used it for my template.  I traced around it on the back side of the paper so it was easier to see the lines and cut out my squares.

Next, you fold the paper corner to opposite corner forming a triangle.   Crease the paper.

Now, open the paper up and fold the other two corners together so your paper will look like this.

See how you have 4 distinct triangles?  Now, cut each fold about half way to the center.  If you feel more comfortable, mark the exact same place on each fold line before you cut.  I just eyeballed it.
Now, turn you paper over, and start by folding the  point of a triangle to the center of the paper and hot glue the point in place.

Continue around the square, folding the same edge of the triangle all the way around (right or left), bringing it to the center and gluing it down.  DO NOT CREASE THE EDGE OF THE TRIANGLE, you want it to be rounded so it would catch the wind.

Now, how easy was that?  And talk about inexpensive!!  All you need now is  a center.  You could use buttons, brads, or beads.  I used my left over 5 mm pearls that I had used on another project.  I simply hot glued them to the center.  They look adorable.

These took only a few minutes to make and were just the added touch I wanted on the mantel.  I used paper I already had, so they didn't cost me anything extra.  There is a piece of green polka dot ribbon that I had put on the mantel for color, so I randomly placed the pinwheels and some easter eggs with the ribbon and that made the finishing touch for my mantel display.  It is so fun and festive and the grandsons will love it.  Here are a few more pictures.

Now, the mantel is done and I am thinking about making a couple of big pinwheels to use in the sun room.  They would be so springy and cute.  I might even made a wreath to put on the door.  Yes, I like that idea!

I hope this tutorial will inspire you to make some cute and inexpensive decorations for spring.  Perhaps  you have a wedding in your future, or need a Bible school project.  This is certainly an easy and inexpensive project since it's basically paper.  You might try using a glue stick instead of hot glue if you are going to let children make these.  Do not let children use a hot glue gun!   A push pin or pearl head straight pin placed through the center of the pinwheel would allow you to attach it to a pencil or small dowel rod.   Just place a small bead on the pin between the pinwheel and the stick so it will spin.  Wouldn't they make cute magnets?  Just glue one on the back of the paper pin wheel and place in on your fridge.  You could use a small picture of your child or grandchild in the center.  Adorable.

Now, I have a hundred ideas running through my head.  Hope you do too.  Let's get creative  Let me know any super cute ideas you come up with for these pinwheels.  Have fun!!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Pinwheel Symbolism

pinwheels come in all shapes, colors and sizes

Did you know that the symbolic meaning of a pinwheel is “to turn one’s luck around?”  Chinese culture believes the pinwheel is an instrument to turn obstacles into opportunities and as such they are a revered symbol during Chinese New Year festitivies.

Pinwheels are found world-wide all over the globe and basically have retained their simple, recognizable shape and function from culture to culture.  Their symbolism is really quite profound representing such diverse concepts as childhood innocence, unseen energy, wish fulfillment and transformation.  In many parts of the world, pinwheels have a deep spiritual significance as well.

pinwheelgirls.com

Spring Banner Made With Kites

What are the things that take you back to your childhood in springtime?  For me, it's jump ropes, hula hoops, jacks, roller skates, marbles, bubbles, pin wheels and kites.  Remember playing on the playground at recess when you could bring your jump rope to school?  Everyone lined up waiting their turn to enter the rope being turned by two playmates, chanting all the rhymes.  "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around.  Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground."  I have spent hours untold jumping rope.   I have probably roller skated around the world - twice.  Hours were spent mastering the hula hoop and all the tricks that could be done with it.  Those were the days when you spent every possible moment playing outside.  There were no video games, we made up our own games.  We didn't spend all our time in a car going from this team to that lesson to another team.  We played whiffle ball and kick the can in our back yards until dark.  We caught fireflies and headed home when we were called.  I have to say, those were some awesome days.

One of the things I loved to do most in the springtime on a nice windy day was to fly a kite.  When I was a child you could buy a paper kite for a dime and a ball of string for a dime.  That twenty cents could make for an entertaining day.  All you needed was a good brisk breeze which didn't cost anything.  There is something so amazing about watching a kite lift into the air with it's beautiful tail swaying in the wind, sailing above the ground tethered to the earth by only one thin line and you acting as the anchor.  Letting the string out so it could go higher, pulling it back in to keep it from spinning out of control.  Beware of kite eating trees!

A kite can be a simple diamond shape made from paper, two sticks, a tail and a string.  That's it.  And yet, that simple paper kite can soar with eagles.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to do that?  Soaring above the earth on a beautiful spring day, going where the wind would take you in the glorious sunshine, floating in the breeze, letting your mind drift - if only.  No, we are the one holding the string on the ground, but that is okay.  We can imagine the glory of sailing like that kite.

I wanted to make a spring banner for my mantle, so I bought four "fat quarters" in colors that I liked together.  When I sat down to make it, I realized I didn't want pennants, I wanted kites.  Nothing is more representational of spring to me than kites.  So I made a pattern and cut out kite shapes.  They are 6 inches long and 5 inches wide, cut in a diamond shape.  Then, I put ModPodge on the front and let it dry, then on the back and let it dry.  This gave it some body.

Now a diamond shaped kite has to have cross braces made of some kind of thin wood.  To represent that I used some silk cording I had bought for jewelry making.  I drew perpendicular lines with a pencil to make it easier to follow.  I used hot glue to place the cording.

As a crafter, I have all kinds of supplies on hand and I was very fortunate that this cording worked very well with my fabric.  I ran a bead of hot glue down the vertical line and placed a piece of cord on the glue and then did the same with the horizontal line.

Diamond shaped kites have a tail to keep them stable when flying.  The tail is string with fabric or rags tied on it.  I didn't want to use string because it would be too limp.  I wanted to be able to "shape" the kite and the tale, so I found some 20 gauge wire that I had from Lowe's.  Perfect.  I cut 12 inch pieces, one for each kite.

I used my needle nose pliers to twist the ends into curly cues like this.

I made two turns on each end.  That way I would be able to hang one end on the rope I used on the mantle and the other end would be long enough to make the tail.  I then ran a bead of hot glue down the back of the kite and hung the kite on the wire using the top curly cue.

To make the ties on the tail,  I used different colored ribbon that I already had and cut 1 inch pieces of it, 5 pieces for each tail.  I put a little dot of hot glue in the middle of each piece and pinched it together to make it look like a bow.  I held it until it dried and then hot glued each piece to the wire.  Love the way they look!

After I made 9 kites for the mantle, I placed them on a piece of lavender colored nylon rope that I had and hung the kites on it, spacing them out until I was happy with the look.  I hooked the end of the top curly cue through the rope so it wouldn't move, then bent the kites in different directions to make them look like they were flying in the wind.

Next, I cut 6 inch strips of the fabric used to make the kites and tied them on the line in a random pattern so they looked like the tail of a kite.

Oh, they make me so happy!  They say springtime and childhood memories and the joy of a perfect spring day.  If you look closely, you will see the paper pinwheels I made also.  We'll talk about those later!

Now, I want to go buy kites for all our grandsons and take them out to an open field and spend the splendor of a perfect spring day with them flying kites.   That would be quite a memory.  


Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Imagination is the highest kite one can fly!  Lauren Bacall

Baked Cheese Cake Supreme And It's Worth The Effort

In yesterday's post I mentioned a cheesecake I made for our cookout on Sunday.  This is it and it is terrific - Jack said so.  He said it is one of the best he has ever eaten, so now you know how good it is.  And, it really is.

Have you been to a Cheesecake Factory?  Do you love to go to the Cheesecake Factory?  I mean, seriously, who doesn't?  Even though they have a ginormous menu of every kind of entree you can think of, everyone really goes there for cheesecake.  Duh.  You may not have a Cheesecake Factory in your town, or even be within several hours of one, but you can enjoy fantastic cheesecake.  Just try this recipe.

If you don't have a spring form pan, go get one because you will need it to make a cheesecake.  That is the only way you can really remove it from the pan in one piece without the crust and everything sticking to the pan.  While you are at it, get at least a 10 1/2 inch spring form pan, otherwise it won't hold all of this filling and you don't want to waste one drop of this filling!  Once you have a spring form pan, you will discover many uses for it, so don't think you won't ever use it.  You will.  It also helps to have a stand mixer because it takes a lot of mixing for this recipe - 30 minutes worth.  I happen to have my beautiful yellow Kitchen Aid which was a Mother's Day gift from my daughter.  It has changed my baking forever!  If you don't have one, ask for one as a gift, go buy one, or hope and pray someone gives you one.  You will see what a difference it makes.

This recipe is one of the creamiest, most delicious cheese cakes I have ever eaten.  The recipe comes from one of those composite cook books that organizations use as a fund raiser.  It is from the Temple Adath B'Nai Israel Sisterhood in Evansville, Indiana and is called Years of Tradition Continued.  I bought it in 1991.   It's a really awesome book because it explains many of their rituals, definitions of terms, blessings and holidays and I have learned a lot from it.  AND, it has the best cheese cake recipe ever in it which I plan to share with you.

Here is what you need:

Ingredients:

Crust

3 cups graham cracker crumbs  (I use Rice Chex to make it gluten free)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Filling

5 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened  (you read that right)
1 (3 oz) package cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 cups diary sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
juice of one lemon (I leave this out)

For crust, mix together graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar and melted butter.  Press into bottom and up sides of 10 1/2 inch spring form pan.

For filling, in a large bowl at medium speed, beat together cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs for 15 minutes.  (This is where the stand mixer comes in handy so your arms don't fall off)  Add sour cream, vanilla (and lemon juice if using).  Beat an additional 15 minutes.  Pour into prepared spring form pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.  Turn off oven and let cheesecake remain in oven for 2 hours.  (Try not to open oven to peek).  Remove and cool on counter.  Serves 12 - huge servings!

After the cake cooled, I put a can of cherry pie filling on the top and decorated it with home made whipped cream.  (Instructions for making whipped cream are in the post about Strawberry Frozen Pie from yesterday).  You don't need any topping, or you can use blueberry, strawberry or anything you like.  Your choice.  When you are finished decorating, refrigerate.

Not only is this a  pretty dessert, it tastes FANTASTIC!!  Reminder:   if you are taking this dessert somewhere don't forget the bottom to your spring form pan is under the cake.  Do NOT let it get thrown away.  This is the voice of experience speaking.  

For those of you who have to eat gluten free, I make this cake so our son in love can eat it by using crushed Rice Chex in place of the graham cracker crumbs.  That's all you have to do.   Makes a great crust and you have a fabulous dessert that is gluten free!   Just thought I'd mention that.

Anytime you need a dessert or have to take something to a pot luck, give this recipe a try.  It takes a little time for the baking and cooling, so give yourself plenty of time.  It serves a lot of people and will get rave reviews!  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember: