Visiting family and taking care of business this week. Be back Monday, March 15th with fresh new posts!

Have a great week, and don’t forget to change your clocks this weekend!

Thrift, originally uploaded by gradiate.

I came across this photo by gradiate on Flickr today. I simply adore the old type and beautiful rust of the sign. It’s just lovely set above the minty, vintage green-blue color. Love!

Yes, I love my dog child. I am so happy he’s part of our lives. He makes me smile every day. Especially, when he tears off running in circles around the house… just like he is doing right now! Love him! And you should too!

These photos were taken in the bathtub… after a romping in the Hawaiian red, nasty mud. Too cute! Two of my all-time favorite pictures of him.

I love  a good sopapilla! Who doesn’t? I whipped up this tasty dessert with some leftover pieces of puff pastry.

Simply cut the puff pastry into triangles. Place on a baking sheet. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned, rotating baking sheet once. While baking, place cinnamon and sugar into a gallon size plastic bag. I just eyeballed the amounts, but use more sugar than cinnamon. I used about a 3:1 ratio.

When pastry is done, place into plastic bag and shake until coated with cinnamon and sugar. Remove and plate. I drizzled mine with agave nectar, but you could also use honey. Done!

This was a lovely little after dinner treat. And really super easy.

*Frozen puff pastry will take longer to cook than thawed sheets, if thawed decrease cooking time.

I had never made a pot pie before. As much as I love the comforting idea of a pot pie, it seems they have to be super fattening to be tasty. Not so! This healthier version is a nice comforting winter treat.

I’d come across a recipe in a recent Health magazine for a Chicken Pot Pie filled with leftover roasted root vegetables. Of course, I didn’t have what I needed. Not to mention, the chicken I prepared turned out to be bad (as in make-you-sick bad). At this point I was so frustrated and completely snowed in. We’d already walked to the grocery store a mile away… twice. I wasn’t about to trek out in two feet of snow…again!

Discouraged that my first pot pie would be less-than-perfect… I finished it anyway. I hate to waste food. To my complete surprise, this Yummy Veggie Pot Pie turned out to be absolute perfection! With every bite, I turned to my chef husband with such pride and satisfaction waiting for his stamp of approval. Even he loved it!

Yummy Veggie Pot Pie

WHAT I USED

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed, cut to fit dish(es) (I used about 1/3 of one sheet)
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 1% Lactaid milk
2 – 3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup roasted zucchini, cut into small cubes
1 cup roasted parsnips, cut into small cubes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 fresh sage leaves
1 large egg white, beaten

WHAT I DID

1. Place cubed zucchini and parsnips on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt & pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until tender. Depends on size of your cubes. Once veggies are done, raise over temp to 425 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, cook butter and oil in medium saucepan over moderate heat. Add flour, cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Continue whisking while adding milk in a slow stream; bring mixture to a simmer. Add thyme Simmer 5 minutes or until thickened.

3. Remove thyme sprigs. Stir in next 5 ingredients (through pepper). Spoon mixture into ovenproof dish. Take thawed puff pastry from fridge and cut piece to fit your dish. Work quickly, minimizing handling of pastry. Press pastry to outer edge of dish to seal. Place 2 sage leaves on top. Brush with egg white.

4. Bake pot pie on a baking sheet in center of oven for 17-19 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Serve hot!

*Our puff pastry was a little underdone on the inside so you might bake a little longer, but keep an eye on it. You don’t want it to burn!

**I used a dish to yield 2 larger servings. I did not have individual dishes. This would make 3-4 1-cup servings if you have individual dishes.

Printer-friendly version of Yummy Veggie Pot Pie!

Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is! Can’t wait to make this again. Feel free to use any combination of veggies. This would be great with so many varieties. Winter squash might be nice. Mmm…

Happy Weekend everyone!

We picked up this neat old piece of art for under $2 earlier this week. I love the colors and the ship. The wood was quite dull, so it needed a little love. Simply spray a rag with a little olive oil cooking spray and wipe gently over the wood. Voila! Good as new.

You could probably use any type of oil. Just apply lightly. You don’t want greasy art.

Tomorrow is Foodie Friday! Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is!

I’m totally crushing on this Orla Kiely Travel Set. I’ll take one of each please… pretty please? Check out Orla Kiely for Spring/Summer 2010. So lovely.

I’m currently loving Half Pint Salvage’s lovely upcycled/recycled creations made from salvaged materials. I simply adore the weathered, yet fresh feel of these pieces. I’m so tempted to order one, but I cannot choose a favorite! Head over to HalfPintSalvage.etsy.com to take  a peak at the shop!

This is one of my favorite meals. It’s incredibly easy, but so elegant and tasty. What more could you ask for? I have to thank my husband for introducing this recipe to me. He made it for me once or twice, and I was hooked!

Is this a galette or tart? We’ll call it a galette. Sounds fancier!What is so great about this recipe is that you could substitute an vast array of ingredients for the filling. All sorts of vegetables would be so lovely nestled in this rustic galette. I cannot say that I have tried any other combos in this galette since I’m totally in love with the tomatoes!

Rustic Tomato Galette
2 Meal Portions / 4 Side Portions

WHAT I USED

1 Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust, or homemade
2-3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices, seeds removed
Small handful of fresh herbs, basil or thyme are personal favorites
1/4 cup Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise for brushing
McCormick Italian Herb Seasoning Grinder

WHAT I DID

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.

3. Place pie crust on baking sheet. Store-bought is easier since there is no rolling involved.

4. Brush the pie crust with some of the mayonnaise.  Season with kosher salt, pepper and Italian Herb Seasoning grinder.

5. Working from the center of crust, begin placing your tomato slices in layers. Season each layer with kosher salt, pepper and Italian Herb Seasoning grinder as well as some of your herbs. If you love basil, use more. This is up to your tastes. It will add lovely flavor, don’t be shy!

6. Continue layering tomatoes and seasoning until you’ve used up your slices. Season with kosher salt, pepper, Italian Herb Seasoning grinder and remaining herbs.

7. To close up your galette, start by folding the two sides onto tomato mound. Press into the mound gently, try not to tear the dough. Next, fold up the front and back pieces. You can simply fold it up, or try to overlay the pieces to make a nice design. It doesn’t matter, it will taste great either way! Try to close it completely, but if you have too much filling, don’t worry. It’s just as lovely and tasty if it doesn’t cover your entire tomato mound.

8. Brush a good amount of mayonnaise over the entire galette. If you’ve got an opening, brush onto tomatoes as well. Be sure to get into all the cracks and folds. This will add flavor and give your galette a glistening brown appearance. Season with kosher salt, pepper and Italian Herb Seasoning grinder.

9. Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating once during cooking. Juices will run from the bottom, but no worries. Allow to rest and cool for 15-20 minutes. You can slice and serve from the baking sheet or carefully place entire galette onto a lovely platter.

This makes two nice dinner portions or four side portions.

Want to print this recipe? Click here.

Have a great weekend!