Lost

One coat.  Navy wool with barely-there orange plaid.  With ridiculously cute - but understated, natch - cornflower blue and white ruffles on the sleeves and pocket.  And a back panel vent sewn from four different patterned silks.  Perfectly matches my orange and navy scarf.  The one that I got on clearance from J. Crew because, evidently, the only people buying orange items are Oregon State grads.

Two bath towels.  The big kind.  The big, thick, soft kind.  The same shade of green as 80% of the things I own.  The towels that minimize the frequency of my having to do laundry.  Which may have played a role in the disappearance of the last item on this list.

Dental floss.  The good minty Glide kind that doesn't shred in crowded teeth.  Last seen in a convenient spot in the car, within reach of the driver.  Part of a whole suite of tooth-obsessed items belonging to a tooth-obsessed girl.  Said girl frequently snacks in the car, requiring the assistance of said missing floss.

Bucket loads of sleep.  The kind of sleep that makes a girl pretty and nice and charming.  Last seen in a fleeting moment of bliss, atop amazing new mattress, piled beneath two fluffy down comforters.  This cherished friend is greatly missed.


Reward:  An armful of cell phone chargers.  Evidently, as they traveled across the country with the rest of my belongings, they multiplied.  And ate all of the items listed above.

Cooking with Sara: Lil Fruit Pies

Mmmmm....Pie........

The borrowed children and I teamed up once again for my Blah to Ta-Daa recipe.  This week, we made Lil Mini Strawberry Peach Pies.  Because everything tastes better when it's teeny tiny!

But before I forget - we have some quick daily announcements to make, we'll call role, and then it's time for recess! :)

Reminder #1: 

Don't forget that Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" show starts tonight on ABC!!!

Reminder #2:

I'm doing a giveaway here on my blog! Go check it out and enter!

"Aunt Sara, are you sure that pie dough tastes good?"

[ nom nom nom ]

Sneaking the dough!

Mmmmm...more pie.......

Gimme Some Free Stuff

 As you know, last week's Blah recipe was geared toward kids.  We're continuing our theme this week with another kid-focused cooking company, and this time...I've got free stuff FOR YOU.  You betcha.  All of the Blah to Ta-Daa girls are giving away one item, and they're all listed here for easy clicking.  Scroll way down and you'll see that I've got pinch bowls to gift to one of you lovelies. 

Think pinch bowls are nothing to shake a stick at?  Well, you're wrong.  Dead wrong.  I use mine constantly for Sarandipity chocolate, but because silicon can take the heat without anything sticking to it, they're handy for a billion things.  They're heat-safe to 450 degrees, and they're both microwave-safe and dishwasher-safe. 

About the company:
Curious Chef® is a brand dedicated to real kitchen tools for small hands.  When adult size cooking utensils are too big and toy utensils too small, Curious Chef® comes to the rescue with utensils and gadgets that are just right for kids to cook up all their favorite recipes.

Teresa - 3 piece prep bowl set


Mellisa - Flower and Butterfly Cookie Cutters

Brandy - Lemon cutting board


Chrissy - Duck and Bunny cookie cutters




ME! - 4 piece pinch silicone bowl set


Beth - kitchen timer

5 Different Ways to Enter:

1)  Visit Curious Chef and have a look around. What fun item would jazz up your cooking routine or make life easier?  Leave me a comment here with the fun items you find!

2)  Follow each blog publicly for its giveaway item...just click on the names above the giveaway items!   Example:  For another entry into my giveaway, follow my blog with Google over there ----->

3)  Become a fan of Curious Chef on Facebook.

4)  Follow Curious Chef on Twitter.

5)  Follow From Blah to Ta-daa on Twitter.

Then, leave me a comment here for each of the ways you've entered.  All of the Blah to Ta-Daa bloggers are ending their giveaways on April 3. 

This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and will end on April 3rd, 2010. I will use Random.Org to determine the winner. Winner will be notified by e-mail and will have 48 hours to get back to me with shipping info or I will draw a new winner.


I was sent product mentioned above for the purposes of this review thanks to Curious Chef. I was not compensated for this post in any other way. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone. :)

A Sweet Start to Your Week

Mellisa over at Getting All My Ducks in a Row rocks.  There's just no getting around it - she rocks it hard.  See, not only is she one of my fellow Blah to Ta-Daa authors, she's also my best Sarandipity Sweets customer.  And she likes to make me squeal by posting photos and videos of her kids eating cake pops.  Seriously, how much do we love her for posting this?

p.s.  Lil Fish Studios featured me in her blog yesterday, and I loved the other items so much that I wanted to share the link with you:  Sunday Window Shopping

Cooking with Sara: Vegan Ice Cream

Yeah, you read that right.  Vegan ice cream, people.  Ice cream for those of us whose bodies no longer like dairy.   (And for those of us subjected to said girl's cooking with said vegan ingredients.)

As part of a theme week for the Blah to Ta-Daa blog, we all tried out kid-friendly cooking items and some coordinating recipes.  Before you start scratching your head in confusion - I borrowed two carpet climbers from my friend here in Atlanta :)  Two really cute and fun carpet climbers at that!  My kid-friendly item to try was their Ice Cream Maker.  I paired that with this new vegan "cream" that I've been reading about:

In summary?   Do it.  Buy the vegan cream and make the vegan ice cream.  And then make vegan Vodka Cream Sauce for your pasta.  And then make a whole host of other things you've been missing while dairy has been the enemy.

This is what the Ice Cream Maker looks like:

Borrowed Child #1:

Borrowed Child #2:

In case you were wondering whether it turned out yummy or not:

Today's Favorite Things

Here's our soundtrack for the morning:

I'm a new fan to Late Night Alumni, but I'm totally loving them!!  I couldn't find any legit videos for them, but these live ones are stellar.  The songs go from a more dancy, loungey idea to a folksy sound.  Love!!  It makes me want to see them live (which is rare for me and artists).

Another of today's loves is these jeans.  These freaking awesome jeans. 

I was so very opposed to the whole introduction of the Boyfriend Jean.  I mean - rolled up with heels?  And baggy on top?  For really?  And then I tried a pair on.  Ahhhhhhhh doesn't even being to describe it.  I had forgotten how dang comfy jeans are when they're not constricting your thighs in 18 different directions!  I'm seriously just in bliss right now.  They were an impulse purchase yesterday from H&M.  I opted to go down a couple of sizes so that they weren't quite so baggy once they stretched.  I am wearing them with heels, but uncuffed.  The length is perfect for my stumpy legs, and the opening hugs my shoe just right.  Oh, and they cost me a whopping twenty bucks.  Go buy some.  You will so thank me later. 

Bo's been hard at work in our garage (so, my OCD levels are just incredibly mellow right now what with all the organizing and tidying going on), and he dug up my box of desk items yesterday.  For me, "desk items" does not mean paper clips or file folders or even a random stapler.  No.  For me, it implies pictures of friends, pictures of my dog, cupcake decorations, a coffee cup from the zoo, my Bo shrine, real wood pencils, and my favorite water bottle.  And they're finally here, making me feel cheery and right at home.

Are you reading this in silence?  Here's another LNA live track to keep you company.  I think I'm totally in love with this version.  Swoon.

Here's what else I love this morning... :)  Peep Cake Pops!  Fancier photos will go up in my shop, but for now, these make me smile.

Coulda Been A Crackhead

In honor of St. Patty's, here is one of my most favorite videos ever.  Ever!!  Plus, I now live like two hours from Alabama, so these guys are practically my neighbors.  Yeeeehawwwww!!!

Bo and I have watched this video no fewer than 82,359 times, and we still DIE every time.

She Ran.

Dude, I ran last night.  I ran! 

Ok, it's not really so monumental in the grand scheme of things, but it is to me.  I've basically not been running since my half marathon last summer.  I think that in the past 8 months, I maxed out at 4 miles for my longest run.  And that estimate is probably generous.  This past month, I've only run a few times and those runs hovered around the 2.5 mile mark.  I bring all this up because I've been feeling so gross about my body lately.  Just generally disgusted with how I look and feel.  And you know that feeling when you've really put in a hard workout?  How you feel so strong and vital and just plain awake the next day?  I've been missing that.  I've reeeeeally been missing that. 

So, this week, I decided to make myself work.  No 2.5 mile runs that make me sweat but don't burn any calories.  No.  If those Biggest Loser folks can work themselves harder than they ever have, I sure as heck can do a 5 mile run when I'm out of shape.  So I did.  I did!  Last night, I did a hilly 5 miles at a very respectable pace.  And it felt goooooooood.  I am already in one of my best moods today than I've been in months.  No lie.  I always forget how running makes me feel.  I just need to get out there and sweat out the uglies, and I'm so much more pleasant.  

Which reminds me of a poem I've been carrying around for years.  I saw it as a magazine cut-out pinned to someone's bulletin board and quickly scribbled it down.  I've posted it here before, but it totally warrants a repeat.


my head

it loves to go for runs.
because it loves the chance to think.
to have long conversations with myself.

and every time i feel surprised.
i never realized how badly we needed to talk.

Potpourri No. 4

• I just realized this morning that I haven't had sushi since before I left San Diego. Which is really odd for me because I usually have it at least once every week or so.  And it's been nearly 4 weeks now.  I'm pretty sure that my body is screaming at me for being so utterly salmon nigiri-deficient.  I must remedy this soon.

• Today, I'm wearing (with my clogs, because I still haven't gone shoe shopping) a brown corduroy peacoat with a zipped-in wool liner.  And I feel so, soooo cozy.  I can't remember the last time I had the liner zipped into it.  I may not take it off all day, despite its making me look like a jumbo raisin.

• Because of the time change, the sun doesn't officially rise here until 7:50am.  ACK!!!  No lie, it was completely dark at 7:30 while I was getting ready this morning.  It was insane.  But nice not having sun glare on the mirror while I put on makeup.  I think today might be the first day that my eyeliner and blush don't look whorish.

• We're going to Orlando this weekend for a wedding.  (And, no - we don't actually travel for any reason other than for weddings.  It's madness, I tell ya.)  Orlando is the land of Bo, and when he returns, it's like an enormous homecoming.  Old friends come out of the woodwork, and I'm introduced to more people than I've probably ever known in my whole life.  And every single one of them is just ridiculously nice.  It's some kind of awesome, really.

• And just because, here's a quick picture from yesterday's baking stint with my friend's daughters.  Their post will go up on Friday.  And there are oodles of awesome pictures of them hard at work in my kitchen.  I can't look at this picture and not laugh :)

Cooking with Sara: Quinoa Keen-What?

Quinoa.  Know it.  Love it.  Serve it with black beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, cilantro, and cumin.  Yummmm....

May I present to you:  Quinoa with Black Beans!

I'm seriously the luckiest when it comes to trying out new recipes.  Bo eats 99.3% of everything I make.  Including the weird gluten-free quinoa.  Including the ranch dressing made with almond milk.  Including the vegan ice cream (fabulous recipe coming next week!). 

But trust me on this one.  It's yummy for - and in - your tummy.  And sinfully easy to make.

Before:

After:

Well, Hello There, Raindrops

Gooooood morning, all you lovelies!!  I woke up to buckets of rain this morning, and it's totally improved my mood.  (I've been in a horrible funk lately, but that's another topic for another day.)  I love me some buckets of rain, let me tell ya.  The bouts of rain we got in San Diego were nice and all, but I think that with my snotty attitude about living there, I never really appreciated the rain when we got it. 

But this morning, I was so excited about the steady dumping of big rain drops, that I - of course - started snapping photos with my phone.  Because the only thing better than being forced to sit through someone's vacation photos is being forced to scan through some blogger's *cell phone photos.*  Oh yes, you can thank me later.

But what I'd really like to know from you all is this - what shoes are you wearing for real weather?  Specifically, what cute shoes are you wearing?  I have a few pairs of flats that I can rotate through, but I'm left barefoot with icy toes if I wear them.  My only closed-toed options right now are heels, clogs (shush!  they're actually not awful), or distressed boots. 

Can you pleeeeeease - for the love of warm toes - give me some footwear ideas?

Major major points if I can wear socks with whatever you suggest. 

I've had this umbrella kicking around in my trunk for so long, that I don't even remember buying it.  I honestly don't even remember the last time I used it.  But, it totally matches my black and white flats today, so let's just focus on that, shall we?  Shoes, people, shoes!

Twilight, Sunset, Moonbeams, Whatever

So, I went ahead and joined the ranks of crazy Twilight fans.  Ok, maybe not reeeally, but I was asked by the lovely Tara to do an item for her Twilight (I've typed that word incorrectly 5 times already, and it's only the second sentence!) giveaway.  Since I've never read the books, the only thing I could come up with is that apple on the cover.  And since my house now has a fridge - hallelujah! - I was able to make up some sample Cake Pops yesterday for a photo session.

As annoyed as I was with the tricky lighting, I have to say that

I l-o-v-e how the photos turned out!

If you'd like to enter her giveaway to win a dozen, go here:

Tara's Twilight Party

Food Revolution.

First off, a huge thanks to Kristen for getting this ball rolling with me!  After reading her post, I then sent the video link to a bunch of other people, who have then sent it on to others.  I love that this amazing information is being rippled out to so many other people.  But, let's get everyone caught up... 

Lights, camera, action!

Pretty dang inspiring, isn't it?  His new show, "Food Revolution," will start on ABC March 26th at 9pm.

Anyone else want to join in on this?  Stay tuned.  I'll be posting my goals and plans soon!

Cooking with Sara: Salad Rolls with Peanut Sauce

It's Friday!  Time for a recipe post!  This week's recipe is for Salad Rolls (or Spring Rolls), inspired by the ones I love from Vietnamese restaurants.  Marnie and I did a big cooking event a few weeks ago and experimented with a few recipes for rolls and sauces.  Our hard labor is your great luck! ;)

From Blah to Ta-Daa!  Salad Rolls with Peanut Sauce:

On the home front, internet access is supposed to happen today.  Supposed to.  If it doesn't, I may just pack my bags to go live at Panera, so that I can cozy up to their free wi-fi and enormous selection of carb-laden treats.  I'm not bitter, not one bit.  We're also getting the tv hooked up, and maybe - if I cross my fingers hard enough - we'll get a fridge today too.  Today's got some potential.

In the meant time, I'm re-learning what it's like to live in the cold.  Our temps this week have been below freezing, and on Tuesday, it snowed enormous flakes the entire day.

I keep forgetting the importance of things like a nice pair of gloves or warming up your car before leaving for work.  I have a newfound love for any pair of shoes that allows me to wear socks.  And I'm slathering on hand lotion like it's going out of style. 

But with all the chaos and chilly fingers and toes, I'm just so happy here.  Bo and I are really going to find our groove here quickly.  We love our new home, everyone we've met has been friendly and welcoming, and we're excited to explore this sprawling city. 

As soon as we get internet access, I can start sharing it with you :)

Tiddly Winks

Life here in Atlanta is still pretty much the same from your vantage point.  Still no internet connection at home.  Still no battery for the fancy camera (did I mention that Sister and I left it in a hotel in Texas?  Bo, ever the knight in shining armor, is picking it up for me on his way over this week).  Still no refrigerator.  Still no washer and dryer.  However, all my Stuff finally arrived yesterday.  So now my house is full of boxes just waiting for me to open and empty.  Except that our three exacto knives are buried inside a taped-up box, buried somewhere in the garage.  Oh, the joys of moving.

The current state of my kitchen, living, and dining rooms:

Totally cozy and comfy, right?

But, hiding in that pile is this.  My Pride And Joy. 

The poor guy was relegated to the garage at my last place because there just wasn't room.  And then I got all crazy making cake pops for everyone in the nation that it just sat there, gathering dust.  I'm sure that it cried little tears of mud every time we paraded on by and didn't bother to give its keys a good scratch.  Its mint condition original ivory keys.  From when it was built in 1912.  But, I digress.  Nowadays, it's found a place in our home.  It will get played, and played often.  I can't even hardly wait.  I actually want to go home right this second to play it, my fingers are itching so bad.

Because, who needs a functional kitchen, right?  I think I'll use my excuse of not having a fridge to procrastinate unpacking the kitchen.  Excellent idea, I know.