Necklace giveaway from Shabby Apple

The folks at Shabby Apple have offered my readers this beautiful Light as a Feather necklace from their line of vintage style jewelry. I like the idea of dressing up a little black dress with a whimsical feather and I think it would also be cute layered with a few additional delicate pieces.

Side note: I've been eying their dresses for ages and I'd love one of their Tinsel Town Skirts this holiday season. The little girl in me simply will not rest until I get to wear a tutu again, I suppose.

I'm thrilled to offer you a chance at the necklace. Enter the giveaway and I'll pick a winner at random next Wednesday after 5 p.m. All you need to do is "like" Shabby Apple on Facebook and leave me a comment letting me know. Tweet about it and consider yourself entered twice.

Shabby Apple is also offering a 10% off coupon to Under a Pink Moon readers for the next month. Just use the code PINKMOON10OFF. Happy holiday shopping!

Soup Monday: Spinach & Goat Cheese Bisque

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  Looking to repent for some holiday overindulgence? Start with a this green soup. It's healthy, but don't let the color throw you. A bit of butter, potato and goat cheese gives it the comfort food feel I need during the winter months. I substituted half the spinach for a head of kale because I can't get enough and used red wine rather than marsala. It was delicious.
  
  

  
  

  
  Spinach & Goat Cheese Bisque
  Adapted from Eating Well Magazine
  
  
  1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
  2 large yellow onions, chopped
  1/2 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more to taste
  2 tablespoons plus 2 cups water, divided
  1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
  1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced
  2 tablespoons cream sherry or Marsala
  4 cups vegetable broth
  24 cups gently packed spinach (about 1 1/4 pounds), tough stems trimmed
  Pinch of cayenne pepper
  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  1/2 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (2 ounces), plus more for garnish
  2 tablespoons butter
  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste
  
  
  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and thyme and cover. Cook, stirring frequently until the pan cools down, and then occasionally, always covering the pan again, until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25 to 30 minutes.
  
  
  2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large soup pot; add potato. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until very soft, 12 to 15 minutes.
  
  
  3. When the onions are caramelized, stir sherry (or Marsala) into them; add them to the pot along with broth. Return to a simmer. Stir in spinach, cayenne and nutmeg; cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes.
  
  
  4. Remove from the heat, stir in goat cheese, butter and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; allow the butter and cheese to melt. Puree soup in the pot with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth or in a regular blender in batches. Taste and add more salt and/or lemon juice, if desired. Serve garnished with a large soup crouton and crumbled goat cheese.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

A little thanks

My best friend, Melanie, made sweet potato gnoochi with maple, sage, brown butter sauce for dinner last night. It was crazy amazing and the 3 year olds ate it up too. Tell me, is there anything more satisfying that watching a toddler eat (grown up) food? It's a Giada recipe and even though I had absolutely nothing to do with the outcome, I would highly recommend giving it a try. We had ours with fresh cranberry sauce and a green salad. I could only suggest going big on the fried sage leaves because you'll want one with every single bite. We enjoyed our pre-Thanksgiving meal to the sounds of a crackling fire. It was pretty sublime.

Which gets me to my point, I'm so thankful for my friends and family who lend me a hand while my husband travels. He globe trots for his job and Emerson and I are often invited to join our friends for meals and fun little field trips to make the time go by faster. I don't know what I would do without these people in my life. So very thankful.

For those in the States, enjoy the holiday. May it be filled with love and laughter and good food.

I made this - practicing creativity

You may know that making things and exercising all parts of my creative self is a big and important part of my life. But did you know that I live with a constant soundtrack of "you didn't do enough today..." on rotation with "you suck at 99% of the stuff you try..." It's a party in my head, I'll tell you what. I know I'm not alone in my negative thinking. I think that women in general suffer from the negative self talk, but I am beyond tired of it. Oprah told me that you become what you believe - and I believe that. I'd like to believe that I am a creative, powerful and positive force in the world.

Having a blog has helped me to channel my constant creative daydreams into tangible, real things. A chair that I sit in, dresses and skirts that little girls wear, blankets that warm my own toes, photos that warm my heart and food that brings me daily delight. I even started selling some of the things I make and that was a huge, happy leap of faith. For the most part, I'm proud of the things I make and share with you. You don't usually see the fails. I mostly try to save the foul language and attitude for my studio and my self-talk soundtrack.

Starting today I'm launching a little challenge: 30 Days of Creativity. That means that every day I'm committing to carving out an hour or so devoted to a creative pursuit. Painting, sewing, sketching, writing, baking and photography are all up for grabs. I'd love to say I'm going in to this with no expectations, but I'd be partially lying. I'm really hoping that a daily practice of creativity will help me release some of the pressure I feel in my studio. The pressure to create perfection, every single time I sit down to the sewing machine or pull out my camera. I would like to feel a bit more free and loose and have a bit more (gasp) fun.

I'm not at all sure how I'll share my progress. A bit in Twitter and maybe a weekly round up of my progress to keep me honest. Either way, I'll keep you posted.

*I was really inspired by Maggie Mason's 30 days of fun, who was inspired by this TED Talk by Matt Cutts. It's a good one. Check it out if you are even remotely interested in attempting a 30 day challenge. *

Happy weekend

Last weekend, we were headed to Tucson. I miss last weekend. I fell hard for the desert and I'm pretty sure I need to get to Palm Springs before my toes fall off. It's something like 52 degrees outside (and sunny) and I cannot get warm. I'm not built for winter.

Wishing all you lovies and fabulously toasty weekend. I'm baking up a storm today, hosting a toddler sleepover and planning to drink champagne with my parents. What are you up to?

Much to learn about class, grace and fun

It's already been a DAY and I'm in a MOOD. I'm trying to turn the Ship Bad Attitude around and both these videos are helping. Hang in there with me, here.

I was listening to a little Free Bird yesterday while cleaning the house (don't judge before you try it) and I remembered Conan O'Brien's last night hosting the Tonight Show. The finale featured him on guitar, his band, Beck, Ben Harper, that guy from ZZ Top, Will Farrel and his about-to-give-birth wife, dancing like a crazy hippie to the most epic farewell song. It's bitter sweet to watch. But also inspiring to watch so many talented and creative folks on one stage making the best of a bummer of a situation. (So I'm watching that for a bit of fun today.)

And then I remembered Conan's farewell speech. As a fan, it was so upsetting to see how that fiasco was handled and to imagine how angry and betrayed he and his crew must have felt at the time. Despite all of that, he was sincere, humble and appreciative as he closed the show on his own terms. (It's a lovely example of class and grace.)

"If you work really hard and are kind...amazing things will happen. It's true." My favorite Conan O'Brien quote.

Soup Monday: Spiced Indian Cauliflower

Another comforting soup recipe, perfect for fall. I'm not a huge cauliflower fan, but my husband is so I try to work it into dishes every so often. This soup is seriously good. I make this a couple times a year and each time I'm caught off guard by its loveliness. It's hearty but not at all heavy and like so many soups - it gets even better the second day. It served as my lunch every day last week and I'm still not tired of it. So that's saying something.

Spiced Indian Cauliflower Soup
From The New Vegetarian Cookbook by Roz Denny

Ingredients:

1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 cauliflower, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp ground coriander
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt (sour cream is equally tasty)
salt and pepper
fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish

1. Put potato, cauliflower and onion into a large saucepan with the oil and 3 tablespoons of water. Heat until hot and bubbling, then cover and turn the heat down. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes.

2. Add garlic, ginger and spices. Stir well and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the stock and season well. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. (I usually take a potato masher and break up the veggies a bit just before adding the yogurt.) Stir in yogurt, season well and garnish.

Pretty Clean: some thoughts on healthy living

About a month ago I mentioned my ongoing struggles with chronic migraine. It's been 11 years of disappointing experiences with general practitioners, neurologists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, all your basic ISTS. Through it all the only thing I've managed to treat is the pain - with medication that I routinely overuse. It's a nonnarcotic, but it's also the kind of thing that pregnant and nursing moms can't take because there isn't enough research on the long term effects...so that's not ideal. I reached my breaking point and sort of let go of the frustration and anger that come about while dealing with chronic pain and opened myself up to some serious changes.

I had no basis for these changes but only a strong and growing sense that I was ready for change. I also have very little real scientific proof that any one of these changes has impacted the root cause of my migraine but I can tell you that I feel really good. Better than I have in more than a decade. Depression and anxiety can be mysterious and shifty - hard to pin down, but so darn obvious when you land on the other side of it.

Seriously, changes in my mood, attitude, energy level and general outlook are happening every day and I can only attribute them to the positive shifts happening in my lifestyle. Here's a list. I'm not proselytizing here. Just want to share what is contributing to a much higher quality of life for me - in the off chance that one of these shifts might help you. Here goes:

1. Eating raw food with every meal (fruit, veggies, nuts)

2. Carrying raw nuts or raw bars from the health food store as a daily snack (low blood sugar is a bad scene for me so I need to eat often)

3. Replaced my morning cup of coffee with a strong cup of green tea (love Mighty Leaf) and occasionally have a cup of coffee in the late morning or early afternoon but not everyday.

4. Tepid lemon water with breakfast and bedtime (long believed to aid digestion, I find it very soothing and calming)

5. Receiving once a week cranial sacral body work (as a temporary treatment to change the flow of my body and encourage it to heal itself - it's also amazingly relaxing and meditative)

6. Receiving twice weekly chiropractic treatments (also a temporary treatment to alleviate any blockage - especially in my shoulders and neck where I carry significant tension)

I'm pretty sure that one of things things taken by itself would have a minimal effect on my health but the combination is yielding results that cannot be ignored. Next I'll be adding a regular yoga practice and it little bit of acupuncture.

I've also been doing a bit of reading into Ayurveda medicine and what I believe to be a very real connection between the mind, body and spirit. I find it all fascinating. There's much to learn and I'm feeling pretty open to more positive changes but I'll also admit that talking about any of it up to this point has felt a little like Katie Holmes talking about how interesting Scientology is...so, bare with me.

I'll share with you insights along the way as it relates to my quest to rid toxins from my life. I have a feeling that cleaning up my medicine cabinet will compliment the work I'm doing to heal my physical (and emotional) self. And I'd love to know if any of you have dabbled in alternative medical treatments.

Studio update: a special giveaway at Reverie-Daydream

Well they may not be Great Grandma's linens, but there's no reason these napkins couldn't share the table with her china, right? I've been experimenting with hand, dip dying and loving the results. It feels organic and a little messy but splashes of color give me a thrill. What do you think? Melissa at Reverie-Daydream is hosting my very first Shop Pink Moon giveaway. I'm honored and so excited about it. Please take a visit and drop her a line. She'll be choosing a winner next Monday.

I've got about a dozen new items in various stages of completion and oh so close to adding them to the shop. More dip dyed napkins in assorted colors and something very special for the ladies. Hint: a stylish accessory for the holiday season - because cummerbunds are not just for 17 year-old boys on prom night. Oh, I've said to much! Lots more coming later in the week.

For now, please jump over to Melissa's lovely blogworld for a chance to win.

Soup Monday: Green soup with lentils

Very Green Lentil Soup


I've been dreaming about these green soups for weeks. I'm pretty sure I'll be trying each and every one over the next few months. I love any excuse to get leafy greens into my life. And most anything paired with lentils makes me a very satisfied gal. 


Please try this soup, as my husband said after his first spoonful "This will cure all that ales you." And I think he's right. It's comfort in a bowl. We made a giant potful on Halloween and I ate it every day for the rest of the week. We added carrots and zucchini because we had left over produce to get ride of so it's safe to say any veggie would be an added bonus to this soup. We also added an extra cup of lentils because lentils are awesome. And the lemon juice, olive oil and feta added at serving makes every bite nutty and tangy. 


From Eating Well Magazine


1 tablespoon olive oil, more for garnish
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 1/4  teaspoons salt, divided
2 tablespoons plus 4 cups water, divided
1 cup French green or brown lentils
8 large green chard leaves
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, scrubbed
12 cups gently packed spinach (about 10 oz. ), tough stems trimmed
4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 cups vegetable broth
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
1/2  teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/2 jalapeno pepper
pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste
Crumbled feta


1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over high. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and cover. Cook, stirring frequently until the pan cools down, and then occasionally, always covering the pan again, until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25 to 35 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, rinse lentils and pick out any small stones; combine the lentils with the remaining 4 cups water in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Trim the white ribs out of the chard; chop the greens and slice the ribs (keep in separate piles). Cut potato into 1/2 -inch dice. Chop spinach; set aside.


3. When the lentils have cooked for 20 minutes, stir in the chard ribs, potato, scallions, broth and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt; return to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.


4. Stir in the chard leaves, broccoli, cumin and coriander. When the onions are caramelized, stir a little of the simmering liquid into them; add them to the soup. Return to a simmer, cover and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in the reserved spinach, cilantro, mint, jalapeño and pepper; return to a simmer, cover and cook until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes more. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice and/or pepper, if desired. Garnish each bowl of soup with a drizzle of olive oil and crumbled feta cheese.

A view from the studio

My favorite view from the house. My grandmother's vase, prints I bought on my first solo trip to Paris, curtains I made, a healing aloe plant and the number 13. Emerson's birthday. She was three and half weeks early and on the morning my water broke I sat silent and still at 4 a.m. thinking, I just won't mention this to anyone. I proceeded to write the check for our income taxes and review my maternity leave plan for the job I would be vacating - in three and half weeks, I assured myself. It would be the first of countless mornings I would bow to Emerson's needs in the pre-dawn hours.

Thirty minutes later my water continued to flow and I was forced to accept that my best laid plans had changed. My daughter would be born on the 13th, early and by emergency C-section. Not at all part of the grand plan. And even though, it remains one of the most traumatic experiences of my life the end result was a beautiful, healthy girl who continues to challenge and change me in wondrous ways.

Many months ago, I won a lovely giveaway from Emily at Wide Open Spaces. My custom address plate from Ramsign is a favorite piece in my studio. It's my constant reminder that change is our only constant and plans are nice to have but truly only built on sand. Someday I'd like to mount this plate on a gallery wall, surrounded by a collection of my favorite family photos. For now, it sits happily on my studio window sill reminding me that change is good and a healthy necessity of life.

Pretty clean: a nontoxic beauty routine update

It's been a long while since I've updated anyone on my crusade to rid my life of harsh chemicals. I'm making a bit of progress where Emerson is concerned and have started to switch out my make up, little by little. But, honestly, I'm not a huge product person. Places like Sephora are my personal hell. But I'm trying, really I am. Here's where we are...and I'll also share with you a fantastic blog that does an exceptional job vetting clean products and a lovely online store to source the products they review. But first, here's what I'm using now. I few of them I love and a few I'm still experimenting with.

Me

Face cleanser: 100% Pure Cucumber Juice Cleansing Foam I like it but it's a tiny bit drying for me so I've added pure Argan Oil to my moisturizing routine.

Daily moisturizer: 100% Pure Acai Berry Moisturizer Next I'm trying their Argan Oil Moisturizer with SPF.

Eye cream: 100% Pure Acai Berry Anti-Aging Eye Cream It's good stuff but I'm still looking for a clean eye cream with SPF.

Daily face sun screen: Elta MD SPF 46 I really like this stuff. I get it from my dermatologist. It's fairly clean but has some nanoparticles in its formulation and that not great. So I'll use it up and then try 100% Pure SPF.

Argan oil for any dry spots - I'm addicted: It's amazing and I can't get enough - on my face, neck and hands. Best all-around moisturizer.

Elizabeth Dehn Shea Cream via Pretty Mommy: This stuff is seriously rich and delicious, chemical-free and a daily indulgence for my extra face that winter seems to usher in.

Toothpaste: Tom's of Maine Wicked Fresh Spearmint Toothpaste It's not perfectly "clean" but it's better than the mainstream brands.

Shampoo and conditioner: John Masters for Normal Hair Shampoo and Citrus and Neroli Detangler I'm super sad about this one. People love John Masters. And I want to love it too. But so far, it's been leaving my hair a little flat and dry. I break down at least once a week and use my Karestase products. But I'm not giving up. I'll continue to try samples and I'll keep you posted. I may need to try their line for dry hair since I am growing out years of highlights.

Lip gloss: 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip Gloss (The consistency is nice. Not too sticky, good color but it doesn't last very long. I'll try their lip cream next.)

Emerson

Shampoo and body wash: Yes to Carrots Baby Shampoo and Body Wash Love it, Emerson loves it. We're all happy. Next I'll be trying their conditioner.

Bubble bath: California Baby Calming Bubble Bath It's pricey, but I love it so much. It's my big splurge for Emerson. Each bottle comes with a bubble wand and they make the biggest, most durable bubbles.

Toothpaste: Tom's of Maine Flouride-Free Strawberry Toothpaste

That's where we are, friends. Check out No More Dirty Looks blog. These two ladies are serious about clean personal care products and they are fun daily read. Nubo Nau is a great online source for all sorts of clean products and they send lots of samples with each purpose. Check them out. 

Next two things I'm looking to replace are my tinted moisturizer and mascara. I probably on use these a couple times a week but I've been loyal to my brands for more than a decade so the switch will be a big one. I'd love to hear any suggestions on proven nontoxic brands.

Holiday gift guide: must love elephants

L-R: Fern and Feather's "Claude" via Reverie-Daydream, elephant fabric for pillow making, Rikshaw's baby blanket, t-shirt, brass elephant bank, throw pillow, wooden elephant family puzzle.

The elephant love around our house doesn't appear to be slowing anytime soon. Emerson finds as many opportunities to bring elephants into the conversation as possible. Her little world is like one giant I Spy book with the singular goal of spotting ELEPHANTS. And if she spots two... "Look, mama I'm the baby elephant and your are the mommy elephant!"

She would very much like to ride on, feed and play with an elephant. I won't be at all surprised when her daddy makes these dreams a reality. He's like that with the big dreams. I'll have to tell you about the time he asked me to marry him in Salzberg, Austria. (Hint: I'm a huge Sound of Music fan). But that's for another day.

For now, I offer you a wee gift guide. It's totally self-serving, of course. Since I think these items would pretty much wrap up my Christmas shopping for my girl. Haven't added a thing to my shopping cart yet but I'm pretty sure any of these treasures would knock Emerson's socks clear off. And what's even better in my book is that four of these items support either small or women-owned businesses. Love that. Happy shopping.