Nick`s Birthday Party

Today we had Nick`s birthday party at a pizza restaurant in Norwich. Its called Iliano`s and they make great pizza. Every one who came seemed to have good time. I bought a cake to bring and every one sang Happy Birthday to Nick. 
His birthday was the end of June, but we weren`t home for his birhtday we were in Virginia. So I sent out invitations for the pizza party.
I always used to have his party at home, but this is a lot less work and it actually cost a bit less I believe. (And more relaxing too.)
Today I`d like to share a little information on my next herb on the list.
Todays herb of choice is Cilantro.
An annual or biennial herb (Coriandrun sativum), of the Parsley Family, grown for it's aromatic seeds which are used for flavoring liquors and confections. The plants, which grow about 2 feet high, are cultivated in rows about 18 inches apart, generally from seed sown in early spring. The seed heads which ripen about midsummer are gathered and dried, then beaten with light rods or flails to spearate the seeds.
The leaves are most commonly referred to as cilantro and have a much different taste from the seeds, one that is similar to parsley with a dash of citrus flavor. Cilantro / Coriander is known to attract bees, butterflies or birds, has fragrant blossoms and aromatic foliage. Cilantro / Coriander self-sows freely; remove flowers (deadhead) if you do not want volunteer seedlings the following season.

Cilantro Pesto 
Annie says: A little of this bright green sauce goes a long way. Spicy and piquant, it's delicious served with grilled vegetables or on Mexican Pizza. (page 180 from this same book). For fresh chile flavor, add a green jalapeno or serrano chile and omit the cayenne. Walnuts are a fine substitution for the pine nuts.
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 scallion, white and green parts, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
1.5 teaspoons fresh lemon or lime juice
1 lightly packed cup cilantro sprigs with short stems
1 lightly packed cup parsley sprigs, large stems removed
salt and cayenne pepper
Combine everything but the salt and cayenne in a food processor or blender. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt and a few pinches cayenne pepper; puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and cayenne.

Have a great day!

And As Always

Keep It Clean!

JoAnn 

Shop Of The Week

Shop Of The Week

Sweet Briers

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75749829/crochet-dishcloths-spicy-caliente

http://www.etsy.com/listing/61591253/womens-crochet-mary-janes-slippers

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72908086/apple-cozy-you-color-choice

Love the entire shop of

 crocheted and knit goods for your home.

Everything is done in wonderful colors and the apple cozies are delightful.

Great idea!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Sweetbriers

Check out this shop on Etsy for more wonderful handcrafted goods!

As Always 

Keep It Clean

JoAnn

Au Naturelle

Earring Sale

All Earrings On Sale 

Today Only

$21.00 Each

(excludes earrings

 under $20.00

due to these earrings being

 already discounted)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/scorpionmoondesigns

Scorpion Moon Designs

Whale Watch Out Of Boston Harbor

Saturday I spent the day on a whale watch out of Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts. It was fabulous! The high speed ferry takes you out to somewhere near Provincetown in the ocean to the whale feeding area. The whales were all around us. The narrator on the boat watches for them with us and tells us where she sees one. Trying to get a picture is a little bit difficult because they come up so quickly and before you can get that shot they`re on their way back under the water. It was really great though. I`d like to share some of my pictures! 

In The New England Aquarium

    Flag On The Boat

You are on the boat for four hours, so on your way out to the feeding ground you can relax, sightsee, walk around the boat, etc. It is quite an experience. After the Whale Watch, we went to the New England Aquarium. Just a few of my favorites pics of my new friend in his tux, jellyfish and a starfish too.

In The Aquarium

An Island And a LightHouse Off Of Boston Harbor

My Mom

My Son

                                                     A New Friend In His Tux

The Boston Sky Line

                                                           

 StarFish

The Gang

                                                          Every One Together
                        On The Top Deck

Two Whale Pictures!

If You`ve never been you really ought to go if you get a chance! It was a wonderful trip! Our last stop was Quincy Market for some food and Faniuel Hall for some gifts and souvenirs!

Enjoy your day!

As Always

Keep It Clean!

JoAnn

HOT HOT HOT

Lets face it, its hot everywhere! But with the humidity its simply unbearable. Where ever you are stay cool, and please make sure to check on any elderly that you know. Also keep your pets cool too. They get hot too.

I have two recipes today

one is for the grill. No one wants to use there oven in this weather. And the other recipe is for the stove top.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 wedges lemon, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat grill for medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, crush the garlic with the salt. Mix in cayenne pepper and paprika, and then stir in olive oil and lemon juice to form a paste. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with garlic paste until evenly coated.
3. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve.

Easy Stove Top Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package egg noodles
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Prepare the egg noodles according to package directions and set aside.
2. In a separate large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until browned. Drain the fat and add the soup and garlic powder. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat and combine the meat mixture with the egg noodles. Add the sour cream, stirring well, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stay cool

As Always

Keep It Clean

And

Have A Great Weekend!

I`ll be back on Monday with some great pics of a wonderful whale watching adventure that I`ve been invited too.

JoAnn

The White Room

When it comes to decorating, I`ve got a weakness for white!

It doesn`t matter what shade of white it is from bright white to the palest gray. It all fits together.

And it never hurts to add a splash of color too!

I found all these great ideas for decorating rooms in your home. Some are from magazines and various decorating books.

Enjoy!

As Always Keep It Clean!

JoAnn

Shop Of The Week

Pony And Poppy

My shop of the week choice!

Everything is colorful, bold and bright!

Wonderful gift ideas for someone special or yourself. (You Deserve It!)

Link

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PonyAndPoppy?ref=pr_shop_more

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62151544/farmers-market-fruit-and-veggie-bag?ref=pr_shop

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62399822/sale-christmas-in-july-cuckoo-for-you

http://www.etsy.com/listing/58584989/natural-linen-pillow

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68493022/green-fronds-cloth-napkin-set-of-four

Check this shop out for more wonderful gift ideas on Etsy!

And while on Etsy check out 

Au Naturelle

and all the fine shops for vintage and fine handcrafted goods for yourself and gifts for everyone you know!

Before I go, I`ve just got to share this recipe! I haven`t tried it yet, but I will be this weekend. It sounds yummy!

CRAWFISH POUCHES

Ingredients:

12 oz cream cheese, softened

1 lb crawfish tails, coarsely chopped

1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped

2 cups (16 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

3-4 dashes Tabasco sauce

1 package won ton wrappers

Steps:

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, crawfish, artichoke hearts, Cheddar cheese, bell pepper, green onions, and Tabasco sauce. Mix well. On clean, dry work surface, separate the won ton wrappers and spray each with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 tsp of the mixture in the center of each wrapper. Bring the corners of the wrapper to the center and pinch together lightly to form a pouch. Place in greased miniature muffin cups. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes until lightly golden brown.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/aunaturelle


Also if you`re looking for a wonderful blog to follow, heres one of my favorites
FrenchCountry Cottage.Blogspot.com
And She`s Also Having A GiveAway!

As Always

Keep It Clean!

JoAnn

Blueberry Blue

http://www.etsy.com/listing/69475735/chrismas-in-july-sale-handmade-recycled?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=blueberry&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_fac

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64556636/summer-blueberries?ref=sr_gallery_16&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=photos+of+blueberries&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=

http://www.etsy.com/listing/77792241/pack-of-4-food-market-greeting-cards?ref=sr_gallery_30&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=photos+of+blueberries&ga_search_ty

http://www.etsy.com/listing/11420285/handmade-5x7-blank-photo-notecard?ref=sr_gallery_4&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=photos+of+blueberries&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67769124/15-off-storewide-see-store-announcement?ref=sr_gallery_38&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=blue+glass&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintag

http://www.etsy.com/listing/61795093/1960s-cobalt-blue-art-glass-genie-bottle?ref=sr_gallery_3&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=blue+glass&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=vin

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78011637/blueberry-blast-small-stained-glass?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=blue+stained+glass&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

Do you have the blueberry blues yet? Next time you`re in the grocery store or at the farmers market, grab some blueberries!
Next time you visit Etsy, check out these great blueberry blue finds!
Have a good night!
As Always
Keep It Clean!
JoAnn

Lazy Sunday Afternoon, NOT

Afternoon all!

Now maybe I`m being a little oversensitive,

 but any one who was brought up with manners, which I`m sure most of us were.

(unless you grew up in the backwoods

And you know who you are!)

Everyone knows you don`t usually touch something that doesn`t belong to you without asking first.

Well, yesterday I was subjected to a backwoods bimbette that decided that she could just take something that didn`t belong to her and do what she wanted with it.

Well needless to say, she didn`t win any points with me!

She has become the person at the top of my poop list (just to keep it clean).

This shows disrespect, no class, stupidity, rudeness, no manners and finally

a better then everyone else attitude!

And maybe a little jealousy and spitefulness.

Needless to say I will not be making an appearance at any of their functions in the near future.

And if I ever do again, I will be sure and be as rude as this person and just go about helping myself to anything and everything!

Now that I`ve cleared this matter from my agenda, I would like to share some good news with everyone. A sales representative from Washington state has found my shop and will be selling my merchandise in Washington. We will be getting this started within the next few weeks. There is a lot involved, I`m nervous but ready to give it my all. Wish me luck. I will be listing her name in a future blog.

Thats all for now!

As Always

Keep It Clean!

JoAnn

Au Naturelle