Rice with a Coconut Kiss

Ahhh, Coconut.
The smell is like tropical island and sunshine.
The taste like sweet summer.
A Hawaiian delicacy perched in a tree.

I had never tried Coconut Rice until a few days ago. And don't even get me started on how much I liked it. I must have said it 1,000 times with every delicious bite.

The up side? Coconut oil is rich in a fatty acid. It's also been known to increase metabolism and strengthen the immune system. The down side? It's made up of more than 90% saturated fat. Oh yah. That.

If you're throwing caution to the wind, like I do from time to time, try this sweet side dish with a kiss of coconut. The lovely ladies from Sisters Cafe paired this coconut rice with Peanut Ginger Chicken & Mango Salsa. If you like peanut butter and a touch of ginger, you'll love the chicken. It was really good too. It complimented the coconut rice perfectly.

Coconut Rice (from Sisters Cafe)

2 c. coconut milk
1 ½ c. white rice
1 c. water
3 ½ T. sugar
½ t. salt

Combine the coconut milk, rice, water, sugar, and salt for the rice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork, cover, and keep warm until serving. (You can also use your rice cooker.)



I have some really fun things to show you this week! I've been a sewing diva lately. From sewing my own cute pajama bottoms, to refashioning projects. Stay tuned!

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Another ink blot onesie

The other day I needed to make another ink blot onesie.
It had been too long and I was going through withdrawals a little bit.

{Click here} to see more of my ink blot obsession.

I decided on Lovely Lavender.
Lavender reminds me of spring.
Maybe it's because I love Lilacs.

This design certainly doesn't look like lilacs.
Unless lilacs grow in outer space. But what do I know? I've never been there.

Up, up and away!

{Watch} to see how this ink blot onesie was made:

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Available here

Or make your own with this kit

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Paris in the rain

A few days ago under wet, gray skies, I took a walk through Paris in the rain. Via Seattle. A girl can dream she's in Paris can't she?

My mom just returned from a jaunt to Paris a few days ago and brought me back this lovely umbrella. In case you didn't know, I'm crazy about umbrellas and all things rain. She knew exactly what I would have chosen, had I been there. Oh how I wish I had been there.

Isn't it beautiful?

My mom said the colors remind her of the blues of the Mediterranean Sea.
Some day I'll see it for myself.

A view from inside

I don't know what it is about looking up through an umbrella...in an instant I'm walking along La Seine, smelling the fresh spring blossoms, gazing up at the majestic La Tour Eiffel. Sigh.

And how do you hold your new favorite umbrella and not spin it?

I can't.

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From Winter to Spring

With the Seattle sunshine showing itself a little more often these days (knock on wood), it looks like it's about time to put away all the winter clothes...(wow, I have a lot of black)

and pull out the bright colors of spring.

I don't know why it always seems to surprise me when I pull out my spring/summer clothes and think, "This is all I have?", or, "Oh, you again?" The reunion wasn't all that exciting. I really do need some new spring and summer clothes.

The idealist in me thinks, I'll just make all my new clothes! And the realist in me says, Grab your Macy's coupons and get a move on or you'll never have anything to wear. 

Speaking of needing to get a move on, hu hum, I'm still working on getting the breezy skirts and tops sewn for spring and summer with my fun new fabrics.

Here are a few designs from Anthropologie that I like...

We'll see what I come up with. And for my sake, I hope it's sooner than later!

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Country Baby Pillow

My 2-year-old niece, Pearce, is our family's country baby. My brother and his wife moved to my parent's property in eastern WA, while he finished his master's degree, when Pearce was just about 6 months old.

And by country baby, I mean country baby. 

We're talking fields of sweet grass, gardens of corn,

rustic country house and fresh cut firewood,

jeeps and tractors,

and even barns

The ranch is a special place for our family, and these were special times to have them there.

It was with mixed emotions that they left this lovely country oasis and moved on after school was over. It was during their time at "the ranch" that little Pearce learned to walk, celebrated her 1st birthday, began to talk, and discovered her world.

So when Pearce turned 2, I decided to give her a little reminder of that special place she called home for a time. When I ran across this soft, flannel fabric from the John Deere collection, I knew it had to be her pillow.

Grandpa's tractor, the ranch house, wooden fences, and barns. This fabric seemed to portray the sweetness of country living.

I hope it will remind her of those special days spent at the ranch.
They sure were memorable for us.

*Of course, a little one's pillow case should be removable for easy washing, so I finished this with a zipper. I always use this zippered pillow case tutorial, because it's the best and easiest I've found.

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Taxes are taxing

I recall reading about a fellow etsy shop owner who decided to close her shop because she found the tax reporting part of the business way too complicated and overwhelming.

I remember thinking, "Surely it can't be that hard, can it?"
Well slap me silly and call me Shirley because it is that hard.
Well, for me anyway.

I opted to do it all myself, instead of hiring an accountant.
I attended a tax class but walked out with more questions than I went in with.

So far I've eaten 2 cadbury eggs with caramel,
a bowl full of pirates booty (ok, maybe 2. That's stuff's addictive!),
finished the laundry,
organized my receipts,
read through a bunch of forms and instructions,
and began the maze of forms and figures.

A while later I realized I may be doing something wrong so I watched a tutorial, read some more instructions,
and thought at that point I'd really figured it out.
Then I read something that may as well have said, "if you are filling this form out you're doing it wrong."
Then my head popped off.

Now I'm blogging.
Hope your tax prep is going much more smoothly than mine!  Thank goodness for a few extra days this year! ♥

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Sugar Fest

You have no idea how long this Cadbury Caramel Egg and I have been having a stare-off. It's only a matter of time. I just found out a few days ago that they come with caramel.  After the couple weeks I've had, I deserve it.

My husband and I have gone through rounds of the flu that's going around. Bronchitis with fever. Sounds heavenly right? Oh, it was. I got it first and then gave it to him. In a moment of flu-induced-humor, I said, "Don't ever say I've never given you anything." At least one of us thought it was funny.

And just when I thought we were in the clear, my little 11-month-old-niece ended up in the hospital with a severe infection. Poor little peanut, all wired up like a baby in a cage in those awful metal hospital cribs. Broke my heart.

The good news is: 

• I just found out my niece is returning home. I'm so thankful.
• Spring Break officially started after I walked off the school campus tonight.
• I have my own stash of Easter candy. And I'm going to eat all of it. Eventually, or all at once. I haven't decided yet.

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you enjoy your weekend. Save a little candy for yourself! You deserve it!

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