Hi, Creative Friends-

It’s the time of year when beautiful summer fruits pour in from generous neighbor’s gardens, bountiful farmer’s markets, and secret roadside stands. There are the luscious late summer bundles of fresh flowers, u-boat-sized zucchini, and best of all, mounds of perfectly ripe summer tomatoes! Since this is the peek moment of summer produce…

This week, here are 3 creative ideas, to find magic in the garden…

1. A Simple Bite: Sometimes the best things in life bring joy in their simplicity. Try this recipe classic simple summer tomato sandwich or this french recipe for a tomato salad with fresh goat cheese to make dinner magic.

2. Sip A Summer Fizz: Why not kick up the feet, sit back and sip a cocktail by the garden? Try this Summer Garden Gin Fizz to enjoy the longer days of summer and find magic in this lavender lemon delight!

3. Make It Marigold: Are bunches of marigold flowers blooming in your garden? Brighten up any room and make things more joyful by creating a DIY Marigold Garland from Midwest Living. It’s a magical way to bring the garden from the outside in!

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how will you get creative with gifts from the garden.

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

Find “The Hot Toddy” Recipe Here

Hi, Creative Friends-

As winter bears down, the dark days of January can start to feel bitterly cold even when our heaters are turned up and our softest scarf is parading around our shoulders. These winter days can seem long, dark, and uninspired. We might even start to feel like we can’t tap into our creative side. That’s why…

Here Are 3 Creative Ideas To Make January Warm and Wonderful

1. Hot Bartender: Cold winter nights call for a cozy blanket and a hot drink. Play bartender and whip up my “Hot Toddy” recipe that contains a secret ingredient that will make any fridged night wonderful.

2. Smash Potatoes: When our stomachs are full we can’t help but feel warm and delighted. If you are a bit like me, potatoes are the perfect comfort food for those dark winter nights. Try a new potato recipe like Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes from Recipe Tin Eats. Whipping up a new recipe is a great way to keep January warm and wonderful.

3. Look At Art: A good way to escape the winter blues and take our minds off the fridged winds blowing outside is to study art online. The National Gallery of Art has short exhibits and free workshops that can be accessed at any moment right from your computer. What a great way to warm up creative inspiration on a bitter winter day!

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on and how you will keep warm and creative this winter.

1. Also, thanks for reading along. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

   If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

   Keep going, creative friends!

   xoxo,

   Andra

Find The Classic Tomato Sandwich Recipe Here

Hi, Creative Friends-

It’s that time of year. It’s when beautiful summer fruits pour in from generous neighbor’s gardens, bountiful farmer’s markets, and secret roadside stands. There are the luscious late summer blueberries, u-boat sized zucchini, and best of all, mounds of perfectly ripe summer tomatoes! Since the tomato is at its peak of perfect this point in summer…

This week, here are 3 creative ideas, inspired by tomatoes, to make life magical and joyful.

1. A Simple Bite: Sometimes the best things in life bring joy in their simplicity. Try this recipe classic simple summer tomato sandwich or this french recipe tomato salad with fresh goat cheese to make dinner magic.

2. Paste & Stamp It Beautiful: Who knew tomato paste tubes could make beautiful art pieces. Check out this DIY video from The Printed Peanut on “How To Make A Golden Bird From A Recycled Tomato Paste Tube.” It’s a fun project that creates lots of joy that can be passed on as a gift or hung up in an office. Try making art by using sliced tomatoes or other vegetables like here at Hallmark’s Think. Share. Make. Blog. If you need some creative supplies, this acrylic paint and watercolor paper from Arteza are magic additions to a creative arsenal.

3. Dabble In Red: Did you know seeing the color red can make one’s heart beat faster? Try decorating something tomato red to get the heart pumping and add some joy to life. Consider painting a door red with these beautiful red door suggestions from The Spruce. Or find a lovely red heavy art print such as “La Fraises des Bois” to fill the heart with magic and joy!

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how will you get creative with tomatoes.

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT or Society 6.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

Hi, Creative Friends,

Good news. It’s almost summer. It’s that season when things get juicy, fun, and a great time to explore new creative outlets.

This week, get ready for a happy summer, with these 3 simple creative ideas.

1. Make It An Endless Summer: If the classic 1966 film “The Endless Summer” doesn’t inspire a trip to the beach with its wanderlust surf culture, a good beach read like “The Last Thing He Told Me” might be a good way to inspire a day to firmly plant toes in the sand and soak up the sun’s rays while sitting in a beach chair. Bring a Hape Mighty Sand Shovel and spend the day making an endless sandcastle that will create a happy summer day and great memories.

2. Food & Flowers Make Good Friends: It’s Peony season and Memorial Day, two things that only happen once a year. Let’s create a celebration and usher in summer by grabbing a bouquet of peonies and cooking up some amazing recipes. The Barefoot Contessa’s Memorial Day Menu looks like a great way to celebrate a long weekend. If you somehow missed the chance to grab a bouquet, there is now a “Peony Bouquet” art print for purchase at Society 6. This print creates a beautiful way to usher in summer into any living room or kitchen.

3. Plein Air Painting Summer Edition: It’s fun to get outside and sketch up flowers, landscapes, and people especially in summer. Here is a good sketchbook to effortlessly carry around: Travelogue Drawing Book. Pair it with a set of Ecoline Watercolor Brush Pens and find happiness in sketching all summer long!

Drop me a message and let me know what you are working on or how you are creating a happy summer.

Also, thanks for reading. This newsletter takes some time to pull together. Consider showing your support by forwarding it to someone who might need some inspiration or buying some of my artwork at INPRNT.

If you are seeing this newsletter/blog for the first time and want to keep seeing content subscribe here.

Keep going, creative friends!

xoxo,

Andra

Tucked and folded gently away in our kitchen cabinets, thoughtfully pinned to social media accounts, passed in emails between good friends, we save new recipes like a new pair of white socks that we don't want to get dirty.

We save them for the day we throw a party.

We save them for the day we really learn to cook.

We save them for the day we have time to explore.

We save them for the day we don't want mac n' cheese.

We save them because the photo looks delightful.

We save them because we save them.

The truth? We are not going make these recipes. Nope, never. It's a cycle of lies. The beer chicken recipe from Uncle John, the paleo perfect breakfast bars recipe from the fabulous blogging site or the roasted miso carrots recipe that beckons us in the too cool cooking magazine are only feeding something other than our bellies, our intentions.

But, friends, what if we turned our intentions into action?

What if we made the recipes tucked around us?

And what if I stopped jabbering my pie hole and starting cooking for 30 days? What would happen if I created "A New Recipe Each Day," challenge?

Will I become a better cook? Will I gain a deeper understanding of culture's influence on what and how we eat? Will this trial make a connection with the people around me?

More importantly, will my children stop saying "Oh, barf!" when I serve them meals?

Well, for the next 30 days, I'll be making a new recipe each and every day. It doesn't matter if it's delicious, the prep time is insane or my family hates what is served. The only rule: make a new recipe each and every day for 30 days.

Since this idea seems pretty granola, today's recipe is:

Homemade Granola

(adapted from the Basic Granola Recipe at Chow Hound)

• 3 cups rolled oats (not instant)
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds
• 1 cup dried pitted tart Montmorency cherries
• 1/3 cup mountain forest light amber honey
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

1. Heat the oven to 300°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
2. Place the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, sunflower seeds and cherries in a large bowl and stir to combine; set aside. 
3. Place the honey, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour over the oat mixture and mix until the oats are thoroughly coated. 
4. Spread the mixture in a thin, even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir and continue baking until the granola is very light golden brown, about 5 to 10 minutes more. 
5. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and cool the granola to room temperature, stirring occasionally about 20 minutes. (Note: It will harden as it cools.) 
6. Add the chocolate chips to the baking sheet and toss to combine.
7. Store the granola in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Come on! Follow along with your voyeuristic intentions, send me a copy of a recipe that is calling to you and let's sit down and cook something up together.

Will the next 30 days be a recipe for disaster or a recipe for happiness?

By the way, the verdict on the Homemade Granola recipe is a resounding thumbs-up but I did get a thumbs-down for using stale sunflower seeds. 

"Oh, barf."

Until tomorrow friends.

It's the time of year again when we sift through our memories and reflect on people that bring joy to our lives. Some of them are gone. However, they left parts of themselves for us to carry forward such as a good old-fashioned recipe or a holiday tradition. We sometimes feel compelled to make these recipes and bring traditions forward.

Growing up in the Midwest we had many recipes that are near and dear to my heart. The Cracker Dip, my grandma, use to whip up every Thanksgiving was such a hit that I couldn't imagine ever having a Thanksgiving without it. Then I realized what she put in the Cracker Dip.

What is Budding Beef anyway?

The older I get, the more I understand some of the things left for me from my ancestors are snapshots in time and can be left for a bygone era, like the Cool Whip salad or giblet gravy.

That is why this year, I created and picked a new tradition for my family. I searched high and low, far and wide for the best cranberry sauce recipe. After some trial an error, here is a tradition which I hope will carry on far after I'm gone or at least until next year.

---

The Best Cranberry Sauce (For Now)

Servings: Approximately 4-6 

• 12 oz of fresh organic cranberries
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated Satsuma Mandarin rind
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons organic sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• a pinch of salt

In a large saucepan add the cranberries, mandarin rind, cinnamon, nutmeg sugar and mix well. On medium heat cook the mixture for 10-15 minutes stirring every few minutes. Let the cranberries pop, remove the cinnamon sticks and let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

When the cranberry sauce is needed, heat the butter in a large saucepan and let melt completely on low add the sauce and a pinch of salt and warm for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

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When you try this recipe, let me know if it made you happy!

Until tomorrow friends.

Hello, friends. Are we all still in holiday go, go, go mode? Or have we hit the wall and don't want to get out of bed? I'm more in the latter camp and want to stay under the covers. Therefore, let's do an easy project today. First, I swear this isn't a food blog. Maybe it's the holidays or perhaps the gray, cold weather has left me hungry. Whatever the reason, food sounds like a good way of getting creative this week.

Bread is something I have always wanted to create well. Who else loves a warm slice of homemade bread with a pat of salty, oozy butter? Having a slice straight from the oven is one of the great pleasures of life. However, whipping up a loaf of bread seems complicated and daunting. There is yeast, rolling, kneading and rising. Throw in that my favorite type of bread is Challah bread, which is a braided, eggy loaf and making bread seems downright impossible.

However, I have located an easy Challah recipe that requires a plastic bag and a little patience. For today's project, let's create a loaf of easy Challah bread. For all the traditionalists out there that recoil at the fact this bread rises in a bag, it is a bit concerning. However, the plastic pouch made for an easy way for a novice to try their hand at bread making. You can find the recipe here at "The Lazy Cook's Challah In A Bag Is So Easy & Delicious." There is even a video to get the amateur cook started on this delicious bread making escapade. It was truly and a comfortable experience and ended with a delightful loaf of bread that filled my house with the scent of warm, buttery goodness. 

Well, let me know how your Challah bread rises and if you make it out from under the covers. I have a delightful loaf of bread to butter up. See you tomorrow lazy bakers!

Hello! Is everyone still in holiday hustle mode? Well, our family needed to slow down today due to both kids catching the cough of the century. They are both feeling pretty crummy and are currently fighting over who gets more blankets on the couch. It's hard to see them struggle. As a mom, I always know they aren't feeling well when they don't want to eat. For all you kids out there, know that not eating makes a mother worry. It doesn't matter if your kids are three or eighty-five years old, when we hear the dreaded "Nothing sounds good to eat," we know something bad is brewing.

At times like these, most people make a little chicken noodle soup. However, if you ask me, chicken noodle soup ranks right up there with serving a dirty sock in a bowl full of puddle water. In short, it's gross. However, years ago when I lived in Chicago, there was a tiny Greek diner just around the corner from my old studio apartment. When I wasn't feeling well, I'd pop in for a little bowl of egg lemon or Avgolemono soup. It's delicious, tart and creamy broth always brought me back to the land of the feeling better. I sware it's soup for the soul!

Today, create this damn good soup. It's pretty easy to make and even simpler to eat. I'm sharing this secret recipe perfected over the years. I hope you like it. Consider it a gift from my soul to yours.

Damn Fine Egg Lemon Soup

Serves 8

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 6 egg yolks
• 2.5 quarts chicken stock
• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

Step 1: In a large bowl, stir milk and cornstarch. Beat in egg yolks. Set aside.

Step 2: In a large heavy pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil and add orzo. Cook according to the orzo package directions. Stir frequently.

Step 3: Remove the chicken stock and orzo from heat. Slowly add the milk/egg mixture and stir continually. Add the salt. Place the pot back on low heat until it starts to thicken stirring frequently.

Step 4: Once the stock thickens slightly, remove from heat again, add butter, parsley, lemon juice, and grated lemon rind. Stir until combined. Add salt to taste. 

Now, feed your soul, stay well and see you tomorrow great cooks!

Well, hello there! Since it's almost the weekend but not quite the weekend, I thought we could spend some time thinking about how to make Thursday better. On all accounts, Thursday is a pretty good day. It's less dreary than Wednesday and more productive than Friday. However, Thursday still requires a full day of hustle. There is no day dreaming or checking out for the weekend on a Thursday. It's full steam ahead until Friday graces us with it's presence.

Last night our family scooted on over for some live music and a picnic in the park. It was a delightful night to be together despite the unseasonably cold weather and it made for a fun break in the week. Today or tonight rather, let's do the same. Create a night with food and music right at home. Pick a new recipe, cue up a new playlist and invite over a few friends. Now get cooking and get ready to shake it together. Savor every bite together as you eat, laugh and dance until Friday says hello. What is it about food and music? They have a way of creating time to experience the good things in life.

Until Friday folks! 

Oh hey there. It's Saturday. How about a stack of pancakes this morning? Most Saturdays, the man in our house grumbles out of bed whips up flap jacks to start the weekend on a sweet and delicious note. He pulls out the griddle, butter and his favorite pancake mix and flips up a belly filling breakfast. This morning, he was bored of regular old pancakes. After a few minutes of rummaging through the refrigerator and cabinets looking for something new, he decided to make a "mancake" or one gigantic pancake. He topped it off the "mancake" with a bacon mustache and egg wiggly eyes. Everyone got a giggle out the "mancake."

Here is short video on how he created this fun loving breakfast.

Today's project is take something ordinary and create it into something bigger! Make a huge sandcastle at the beach. Mix up one oversized chocolate chip cookie. Wear something bold and bright. Go on a super long bike ride. Jump into the pool while doing your biggest belly flop ever. Go big or go home!

Well, off to enjoy a part of this delicious "mancake." See you tomorrow men!

Day 155 - Hey there! It's Friday. What is the only thing that would make Friday better? A donut and today, Friday June 3rd is National Donut Day! That's right. Today, you can score a free donut at Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme. My mouth is watering just thinking about a good old glazed donut. What other fried delight has the ability to bring so much joy to the morning?

Today's project is to get out there today, grab a donut and create joy. Invite some friends along. Enjoy each and every bite of a free donut. Now if you don't live by a Dunkin' Donuts or Krispy Kreme, whip up a batch of these lemon donut fritters and invite your crew over. They are easy and hold so much joy in each delicious bite.

Lemonade Donut Fritters

DIRECTIONS FOR 15 MINUTE DONUTS (ADAPTED FROM COOKING CLASSY)

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 3 tbsp grated lemon rind
• 2 cups canola oil, for frying

Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt

Step 1: Preheat oil over medium heat in a 10 inch non-stick fry-pan (keeping an eye on it as it is heating). In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, lemon rind and salt. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together milk, buttermilk, sugar and melted butter. Using a fork stir in dry ingredients and mix just until combine (think of making biscuit dough, you just want to incorporate the ingredients). 

Step 2: Once the oil has reached 350 degrees, using a tablespoon gently drop one heaping tablespoon of dough into oil and fry until golden brown on bottom then flip and cook reverse side until golden brown. Carefully remove with metal tongs or a fork and drain onto a paper towel lined plate. Let cool until still warm

Step 3: Mix together powdered sugar, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl. Dip the fritters into the icing and let dry on a metal cookie rack. Enjoy!

You know what they say, a donut a day keeps the doctor away! See you tomorrow kids.

Day 114 - It's Saturday! I'm taking some time from thinking today. I'm taking something new for a spin. I'm tying on Blue Apron a meal delivery service. Blue Apron is everything you need for a complete meal delivered to your doorstep in a box. Inside the box are all the ingredients needed to make a meal. In approximately thirty minutes after laboring away over the stove, bam!, dinner is ready. I have been shy about these meal kits because they seem like a paint by numbers for cooking but what the heck. It's still creating and I need all the help I can get.

Ordering my first week of meals for two days was easy. I hopped online and created and account. Like magic, a few weeks later, the Blue Apron box arrived at my door, Wednesday afternoon. I opened the giant box and unpacked the contents into the fridge. The first thing I noticed was all the ingredients looked lovely and fresh. The second thing I noticed was there was a lot of stuff to recycle. There is a big shipping box, cardboard liners, two huge cooler bags and all the food was pre-proportioned into little tiny containers. Yikes! Recycling nightmare but I continued to prep the meal.

Well, after our first meal of Mexican Pork Pozole and our second meal of Orange Chicken Wings, I can say I was surprised at how my family gobbled up the food. It did make dinner time more fun because I had everything I needed to make a meal. No running out to the store for forgotten ingredients. Trying Blue Apron made me realize that there are lots of options out there to make life easier.

Today's project is to try a new service that will make your life easier. Create easy today. Go sign up for a meal delivery service, have someone else mow the lawn or hire someone on Task Rabbit to take back the packages to the UPS store. Find time to get space.

Hope your Saturday is a good one and let me know how creating easy goes for you today. 

Day 32 - Oh boy. Monday. It seems like Monday's around here have been a little rocky. Today, we had to stay inside most of the day due to another round of cooties. How can you be creative when you are trying to be Florence Nightingale and manage all other aspects of life?

Here is my solution. Bake something. Especially something with chocolate. What goes better with a dish of stress than a side of chocolate? Hello emotional eating! However, today's project isn't about chocolate. Sorry, I get side tracked when I think about the Trader Joes Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter cups just sitting in my freezer. See I did it again! So, sorry.

"Two Lovers"

Today's project is to present one meal or a dish in a new or different way. Do I hear someone saying with a furrowed brow "Oh, I don't cook or I don't have time to bake today. I'm going to sit this one out." If you eat you can do this project. All you need to do is arrange the food purchased or cooked in a new and unexpected way. Make your morning bowl of oatmeal into Darth Vader, sing the meatball song while you eat your spaghetti or create a modern dance while you eat your pudding. The goal here is to have fun and realize there is always time to create. 

As you can see below, I took inspiration from Jackson Pollock and created a "Choco Pollock." A still life about my one true love. Sorry hubby.

"Choco Pollack" or "Chocoholic"