Random Tuesday:: Pie Project

I saw these adorable pie boxes on Pinterest the other day. How cute are these?? Now, I'm inspired to make pie gifts... I guess the next holiday is Fourth of July. Does that warrant pie gifts? I suppose it does now.

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And, of course, here are the pies I am considering... if you happen to be in my pie-giving circle (or not) please chime in and let me know what you might like to see in a pie box from me.

Chocolate Lavender Pie

Salted Lavender Honey Pie

Plum Blueberry Upside Down Cake

Admittedly, that last one is not a pie. 

If you mention that to me in your suggestion you will be automatically eliminated from the pie-giving circle. 

Monday Meal Planning

     OMG, last week I cooked a healthy dinner every single night. I don't know if this has ever happened in my entire life, ever. Usually there is a frozen meal or takeout call somewhere in the mix of Monday through Friday. Admittedly, there are some overarching health issues that oftentimes impede my plans for the week so it was a doubleplusgood sorta thing. For several weeks now, we've also been trying "Experimental Food Friday" with some surprising successes (see avocado chocolate pudding below). I always resented cooking but I'm starting to overcome my initial hostility and slowly learning to enjoy the task. Hard to believe. 

Grilled Salmon Fillets

We've been trying to cook fish twice a week. This week, the fella decided he wanted this task dolled out to him so he can fire up the grill (and get out dirty dish duty) to cook our dinner. Sold. 

Apple-Quinoa Breakfast Muffins

Usually I try to make breakfast once over the weekend because weekdays don't leave much time for cooking in the morning. Somehow, I didn't quite manage that homemade breakfast this weekend so I'm thinking about whipping up some healthy muffins instead.

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Lemon
Continuing my lemon-in-everything kick...

Chocolate Avocado Pudding (Vegan)

I know it might sound scary but I've already tried this and it really works out swell. I opted for honey as my sweetener rather than maple syrup so I guess mine wasn't entirely vegan. 

a moment of zen

In keeping with my new promise, I located the original source for today's "moment of zen" - and, wouldn't ya know, it has led me to a purchase. I have some fancy greetings cards coming my way and I just might pick a print for mi casa de las bellas artes. I love love love Papaya prints. Check out their online store here! 

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Re-Thinking Blogging

     A friend of mine on Facebook recently put up a link to an article about image use in public, online forums (like Facebook). The article by Alex Wild was from Scientific American titled "Facebook's "I F*cking Love Science" Does not F*cking Love Artists". In the article, Wild discusses the rapidly accumulated popularity of the pro-science page created by Elise Andrew. I love "I F*cking Love Science" but this article brought some really compelling points to light about image use in the overly-electronic age. It's something I've often thought about as a blogger. On my "professional" blog - YabYum Music & Arts - I adhere to very strict image use guidelines that I myself put into place. Here, however, and on my other personal blogs, I'm not as strident. I always try to include source information for the images I post but oftentimes these are just links to the website where I found the image and not necessarily the original source. And, since I'm being totally honest here, I rarely have asked permission before reposting images I find. Well, that shit stops today.
      In truth, I did not see re-posting as an issue. Perhaps a bit lazy, but not wrong. I consider this blog personal space. Frabjous Fox is not intended as a money-making venture but rather as place to organize my householder tasks and share my projects with friends. Nevertheless, it is operated in a public space. Prior to blogging/Pinterest, I kept journals full of images and articles. Those clippings were mine alone. As my readership continues to gain numbers, I must recognize that this is not simply personal space free to fill with whatever I want all willynilly as I've been doing. The article by Alex Wild has served as a wake-up call.
    So, that being said, I'm announcing a site redesign project. I will no longer be posting images without proper attribution. Bleh. That might require a bit of refocusing. Stick with me on this! It's all for a better blog tomorrow! Today, I have the task of deleting all my unpublished posts that don't adhere to my new standards. Sad. I might focus more on my own cooking endeavors as I move toward a clean-eating, always homemade approach to life. Or, maybe, I'll just post a new picture of Eleanor everyday to accompany whatever musing might be occupying my brain space.

Oh, and thank you, Brent Miles, for ruining my life with your Facebook posts... if you didn't have such wonderful musical taste I might maintain some real hostility over this.

Let the Eleanor Pictures Begin

Art Day:: Happy Blue

I'm enjoying bright, happy blues this week.
Probably because I'm secretly missing the blue nail polish
I had to wear while my toe was healing.

Moasic Detail

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Illustrations of French Fairy Tales by Virginia Frances Sterrett

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Untitled by Donald Judd, 1990

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Fashion Friday:: White Done Right

Are we far enough into spring that white is now an appropriate dress color? 

Memorial Day to Labor Day? Is that our white season?

I just don't know these things.

Links for all of these dresses can be found here. 

For the Home:: Cleaning Schedule!!

     I try to keep things tidy around the house. "Try" being the key word in that statement. For me, breaking up tasks is crucial because I am limited by a physical disability (a texting driver hit me). That being said, some days I can't do anything in which case the list gets put off til a later time or simply ignored entirely... When this happens, I usually have to undergo some tremendous "reclaiming process" once I'm able to move about again. Learning to negotiate the daily tasks with a limiting condition is within the realm of possibilities for me, thankfully, and I really want to work on adhering to a schedule to make sure I stay on task. Special thanks to Little Green Notebook for providing the model from which I was able to derive my own cleaning schedule.

Cleaning Schedule

Morning

- - -

Make Bed

Wipe Down Bathroom Counters

Put Away Dishes

Sweep

Evening

- - -

Wash Dishes

Wipe Down Kitchen Counters

DeClutter

Weekly

- - -

Monday:  Bathrooms

Tuesday: Bedrooms

Wednesday: Office

Thursday: Living Room

Friday: Laundry

Weekends: Mop / Yard

Mid-Week Motivation:: Laugh a Little

Don't let the man get you down this week!

Take a moment and laugh at something.

Maybe yourself.

We'll put the smart one first today.

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The one that gets me every time.

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The token grammar reference.

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The one that reminds me that there is something wrong with our culture.

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The one for my fella.

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Fabulous Fingers!!!

“Ornate or crazy manicures are impressive, but at the end of the day, I love the simplicity of a perfectly lacquered nail. It’s the ultimate accessory.”

 -  Peter Philips, Chanel’s creative director for makeup  (source)

Whatevs. I love me some fabulous nails. I generally can't pull them off because there is simply to much art and destruction in my daily life to maintain anything too fancy on my fingers. However, a couple weeks ago while I was in SoCal I opted for a when-in-Rome approach and painted my nails bright blue. California. Why not? Then the day after I returned, I destroyed my toe (see what I mean about destruction?) on a metal plate that is affixed to the bottom of our front door. My toe is still disgusting but recovering. I've been stuck with the same shade of blue on my toes forever now. Today, I have decided my toe is finally healed enough to brave the nail polish remover necessary to end this nightmare.

I just bought shoes that would match these nails perfectly.

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You can actually purchase these nail stickers from London. Go London.

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A simple lacquered nail. Love it.

And where does one find a finger nail jewel?

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I can afford the nails if not the shoes. Gotta start somewhere.

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Oh, and this is me wearing one of my fella's shoes over the toe bandage.

Very exciting times.

Junk Food Copycats

Sometimes we all want something bad for us. Living with a medical condition, it's not always a matter of drive-thru when the craving hits. I have to make my own food at home. And, every once in a while (usually around my period), I'll sit at home thinking about some forbidden food. After the Homemade Hostess adventure, I see the endless mimicking possibilities. Here are my worst menstrual cravings (minus chocolate which is bad for headache conditions) transmogrified into at-home versions. I'm probably over-sharing.

Oatmeal Creme Pies

Be still my heart. These always remind me of visiting my grandparents in the summer with my kid brother. I love love love oatmeal creme pies.

KFC Chicken

God only knows what is actually in KFC Chicken, if that's even chicken. This particular fast food joint represents so much grossness I haven't partaken in sooo many years. At least, I know that if I really want the deliciousness without the vileness, I can make it on my own. 

Milano Cookies

Why is it that everything I crave reminds me somehow of childhood? This is suddenly getting way more Freudian than I anticipated. Oh well. These cookies are too delicious to care.

Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich

Um, this one breaks me sometimes and every time I give in, I'm horrified in the wake with visions of liquefied roast beef and chemical-laden cheese. Gross and yet oh-so-good. I think this was my mom's idea of a "healthy" dinner out when I was a kid. It was a sandwich, after all.

a moment of zen

You have the right to opt out.

Don't let others make you crazy.

Art Day:: Photography

Photography is many things.

Stunning, seductive, scintillating.

Guy Bourdin, 1978

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Celestial Tresses by Man Ray

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Helmut Newton

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Jean-Francois Jonvelle

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Fashion Friday:: Summer Sundress

The only thing that comforts me as the temperature continues to rise in Arizona. 

Summer Sundresses. Not that I go in the sun...

That doesn't mean I won't rock a sundress.

Links for all of these dresses can be found here.

For the Home:: Boho Bedrooms

Boho goes a long way with me. I love the eclecticism and the vibrancy. Boho spaces feel full of life.

I love applying a bohemian sensibility in the bedroom above all.

It promotes dreaming. Okay, I made that up.

But it totally might.

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Mother's Birthday:: Homemade Hostess

What do you give to the woman who really doesn't want anything? My mother might be one of the most difficult people ever to shop for... ever. It's not that she doesn't like gifts. She will always cheerfully accept  tchotchkes or plants but nothing ever really wows her because she really doesn't want anything. She wants cookies. And, maybe a chocolate malt. I am not kidding. That's what she really wants. On the inside. In her heart of hearts. The tiniest diabetic in the universe with the world's worst eating habits. If she wasn't freakishly, impossibly healthy, we would have to hospitalize her for the way she eats, like that chick that would only eat french fries. Freakish. I simply adore her with everything in me but something is not quite right in her head. But whatever is wrong is joyful so I say let it be. 

So, anyhoo, back to her birthday. I really wanted to give her something she wants this year. Something no one else will give her. Something that she can't just go out and get for herself.

Twinkies.

Yessss! With Hostess out of the way, something has been missing from my mother's diet. Twinkies and Ding Dongs and those cupcakes with the little curlicue on top. This is something I can do. I found these recipes on the magical interweb, just click the image for the link! 

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Un-Break My Heart

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     So... I've slowly been eliminating the chemicals in my life. I've parted way with packaged foods and store-bought household cleansers. The trouble with progress, I'm discovering, is that there is always more progress to be made. During a recent convo (that's "conversation" for those in question) with one of the docs, my recent changes were lauded but she then suggested some other places where chemicals might be eliminated. I almost cried. Almost. I definitely cried on the inside. What did she mention..? Make-up!!
      Now, admittedly, I'm not a big user of make-up products... as most of you can probably discern from my occasional blotchiness and all-around pallor. But, ever since my very first tube of cherry red lipstick that I bought at a mall during Academic Decathalon (really), I've kept a favorite lipstick on hand at all times. It was a major turning point in my youth. I went from total tomboy in a flannel, band shirt, and baggy jeans (the 90s)  to dresses and nail polish in the amount of time it takes someone to say, "I want that one." My jeans to dresses ratio has done a complete 180 since I was 16. And, I maybe have two band shirts these days. For shame, I know, but I guarantee my teenage self would have total respect for my record collection and maintained aversion to children. That's enough for me.
     Back to topic... I do wear mascara and eye liner almost every day. Well, almost every time I leave the house. Thank you, Liz Taylor. On the occasion, I'll opt in for lipstick. On the rarer occasion, I'll go full force for an event and use primer and powder and eye shadow. Bam. The saddest part? I just found the exact shade of lipstick I've been searching out for years. Years!! Oh so long ago, my fav color - Tourmaline, which was sorta hot pink - was discontinued and I had to begin my search all over again. Alas, it was not to be. I will be relinquishing my make-up. I will miss the ritual of it all. The girly-ness. I'll miss picking out new colors with my mother. The doc suggested I look into homemade options (to continue my trend). She mentioned something about beets and coconut oil... I'll get back to you on this. In the meantime, I'm listening to bad break-up music as I prepared to let go of my fabulous, oh-so-carefully collected beauty products.
     To help get ready, I'm going to rock some of the worst break-up songs I can possibly think of. Please take a moment to appreciate that one make-up item you love in your heart of hearts and enjoy one of the throwback tracks below.

Monday Meal Planning

I have triumphantly returned to the kitchen!! I made a fabu strawberry bruschetta and I just might put up the recipe here. We'll see. I served it with Zucchini and Lemon Spaghetti (recipe link below) and a Cesar Salad. Delish. I'm overjoyed to have my kitchen back in check. Ready for the Great Organizing to begin. Moving sucks.

Zucchini and Lemon Spaghetti

This was amazingly delicious. I used quinoa spaghetti and a a few slight modifications. We even liked it more than the Linguine with Zucchini & Chickpeas we make every couple weeks, also delicious. 

Healthy Mac'n'Cheese with Butternut Squash & Broccoli

I have to throw a lot of vegetables into every dish to get my fella to eat them. He's like the opposite of a picky child. Sometimes, it is equally annoying. I have to squeeze in a few more butternut squash dishes before the season passes.

Blueberry Dutch Baby Pancakes

There was a special on blueberries and I thought, "Pancakes!" Then, I realized I'm not the biggest pancake fan... Well, I go through phases. Anyway, you don't need the history of me and pancakes. I am going to make this. Any opportunity to pull out the cast-iron pan, a gift from Aunt Amy. 

Orecchiette with Wilted Spinach, Kale & Pine Nuts

Pasta has always been a favorite of mine but I'm trying to find healthier versions. Kale is the new world order.

Banana Pudding Pie

I made a chocolate pie one night when a friend came over for dinner. He then put in a request for a banana pie. This is actually something I've had on the brain for a bit anyway, so I'm all about it. This one has a Nilla Wafer Crust (FYI) and the pudding is homemade!!