Spring Has Not Yet Sprung

My hopes and dreams for an early spring have been shattered. Just when it seemed like we were well on the way to sunshine and snowbank-free sidewalks, a (should-not-have-been) surprising snowfall last night and this morning racked up about 4ish pretty inches... and is now melting into sloppy slush :(

Despite the freezing temps outside.... in my mind it's already Spring!

Hope you're enjoying this Oscar Sunday :)

Be Mine!

From my heart to yours... some lover-ly iPhone wallpapers:

So won't you be my Valentine? Your choice of Gingham, Honeycomb, PolkaDot or Vintage. 

Happy weekend!

She Knows Me Too Well

A good friend notified me of this blessed book this afternoon:

Could be the best springtime read ever! Thanks to Lucky for spotting. Thanks to The V&A Museum for selling. 

Yes, the binding is actual pink cloth. Need I say more?! Clicking. order. now.

Speaking of well dressed... I will be in NYC this weekend - the trip happily corresponds with NYC Fashion Week 2011! Can't wait to ooh over some fun new garb to get me out of this frumpy winter rut :)

Cha-Cha-Chalupas

Ok, so we have a Mexican food problem. I can't say I didn't tell you so.

Chalupas have always been a staple meal for me. Growing up, my mom would make them practically by the dozen for me to chow down on after soccer practice or cross country training. Not to mention, they were a big-time Friday lunch favorite at girls' camp. Did I mention our camp had the best food ever? We always joked that "some people eat to live... we live to eat." Little did I know how telling this would be of my food-loving future :)

The best part is, chalupas couldn't be easier to make. You could probably tell me how to do it based on the picture, so here's a quick grocery list:

Ingredients:
flat crispy taco shells (we fried some corn tortillas - so, so good!)
shredded cheese (again, your fave - we used cheddar)
refried beans, warmed
shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes
jalapenos (opt)
salsa (we love our spicy El Fenix salsa shipped straight from the Big D!)
guacamole, sour cream, etc are all great extras :)

Directions:
Assemble, silly!
(aren't you glad this doesn't involve cooking? we've worked hard enough this winter)

TGIF my friends. If you did not get a chance to download a fun iPhone wallpaper yesterday, check it out!

Presents!

For you, of course!

Who doesn't love presents? Especially free presents?

The truth is, by accepting this present, you're really doing me a favor. Please humor me in my quest to learn graphic design :) Hubby kindly obliged with Adobe CS5 for Christmas and I've been truly smitten ever since.

So, without further ado, let me present my first presentable project: iPhone Wallpapers! Here is my Sunburst print, available in chartreuse, coral, lavender and turquoise.

I made you four cheery colors to choose from because, as Groundhog Phil said, spring is on the way! These downloads are free - obvi - so please enjoy. I recommend right clicking on your fave image and choosing "save image." Then email it to your phone and download. Or if you are viewing my blog on your phone right now, just click and choose "save image." You can then change your phone's wallpaper under settings by simply selecting the saved image of your choice. Please comment or email for troubleshooting.

My hope is to have some new wallpapers for you every so often, so keep checking back for more.

For those with alternate mobile devices... I am working on a solution for you, so just hang tight!

Cheers ;)

Be a pal and please don't reprint or alter my designs :)

Tortilla Soup

If you lived here:

...and some of us do...

Wouldn't you like some hot and delicious soup to warm up? 

Try our slightly twisted version of tortilla soup - the carrots remind us of our all-time Dallas favorite, Veracruz Cafe :) If you're not a carrot fan, just swap for bell peppers - or try both! The beauty of tortilla soup is that it is super easy to alter to your liking. I hardly ever make two batches the same, depending on what we'd like that day (or what's in the pantry!).

Ingredients:

1/2-1 lb bone-in chicken breast (again... this is a time where you could buy a pre-cooked rotisserie)

Chicken broth (1 box your favorite brand)

2 carrots, finely chopped (here's a trick: avoid having carrots roll off the chopping mat by giving them a vertical slice to make a flat edge)

1 large white onion, finely chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

2 jalapenos (whole; optional if you're not into spicy)

3 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 stick butter

1/2 packet taco seasoning (we bought McCormick's)

Cheese (we used cheddar this time, but feel free to get crazy - melty varieties are best and monterrey jack and queso fresco are other excellent options)

Tortilla chips

Avocado, sliced

Lime (opt)

Sour Cream (opt)

Directions:

Sautee onions, carrots and garlic in butter in a large sturdy pan (I used my Le Creuset dutch oven).

Sautee for a long time... if you think you're done, wait 10 more minutes. You don't want any bite in your soup, after all.

Meanwhile, cook the chicken by placing it in a large stockpot and covering with water. Bring to a boil for 15ish minutes, until meat is cooked through. Remove from water and let cool.

Add tomatoes to the onion base.

Shred chicken using a fork and add to onion/tomato base.

Add taco mix and salt and pepper to taste.

Add chicken broth to onion base until desired thickness achieved. I like my soup pretty ingredienty... if you'd like yours to go further or be a little more brothy, feel free to add water. All that simmering will bring the water up to speed with the other flavors.

Add jalapenos (whole) and let simmer for 45 minutes to 3 or more hours (of course, the longer the better). Season as needed during simmering process.

Now, my favorite part: fill the bottom of a bowl with lots of tortilla chips and a little cheese.

Next, ladle your soup right in.

Top with avocado, sour cream, cheese and more chips - to your liking, of course!

Don't you feel warmer already?