hello sweet readers…what could be better than beautiful embellished coats made from vintage wool blankets?
maybe beautiful cushions constructed from flannel and canvas?
the beautiful thing is you don’t have to choose. you can looooove them both equally. paula coulthard creates the most magical things…her coats and cushions are nothing short of works of art and i am so, so happy to have found them. i hope they strike a cord with you as well!
xo mrs. french
to purchase visit aroha and friends
Now that Thanksgiving is over it’s time to find a few lighter dishes to keep my waistline in check during the upcoming holiday season. I love pasta but don’t always love the heavy feeling that I’m left with after I’ve indulged. Spaghetti squash makes a wonderful substitute for your favorite pasta recipes but you don’t have to feel guilty about it. It has a great texture similar to angel hair pasta and is lightly sweet and goes beautifully with sautéed vegetables, sausage or fresh herbs. I added the mushrooms to make it a little more filling so it could act as an entrée but on it’s own it makes a lovely side dish with a nice piece or fish or chicken. Best of all dining on lighter fare like this leaves room for all the holiday cookies and treats that start appearing at this time of the year.
Roasted spaghetti squash with mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 sage leaves
1 clove garlic
8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice a spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with the sage leaves and season with salt and pepper, then place cut side down on a baking sheet.
Bake the squash for 45 minutes, or until the squash flesh separates easily into strands with a fork.
In a skillet over medium heat, saute 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the chopped garlic and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms begin to brown and release most of their liquid. Add the squash to the pan and continue cooking until heated through. Remove from the heat and toss in the parsley and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
i do so love this time of year. obviously, i love everything about the love, warmth and generosity…but i admit, i get totally geeked out over finding the most amazing stuff for b and lu. of course, i have nothing against the big-name toys (ok, maybe a little bit against the fact that i, in fact, do spend 1 zillion dollars on toys i get to put together, then lose the directions and end up with a house full of tiny pieces that will never again be worth the 1 zillion dollars i had orignally spent). however, the fact is that for the past 3 days b and lu have been playing like little angels…they have been building forts, stealing all of my tape and emptying out all of my boxes; which i find perfectly acceptable because they are completely engaged, in love with one another and so flipping creative that my mind is blown. which is why i literally almost fell over when i saw this:
stuff to engage the brain, imagination, and all things good…an added bonus? it’s all theirs. play from scratch toys encourage children (actually everyone!) to make things from anything. play from scratch has developed recyclable raw materials kits and games focused on the benefits of open-ended freestyle play for both children and adults.
soooo, what’s the story…how did the play from scratch‘s founder come up with his masterpiece? i love this part so much:
“Founder Jeff Freeland Nelson was inspired to start Play from Scratch by a gift he received from his parents when he was just 8 years old. “I was always inventing things around the house using whatever materials I could get my hands on,” said Nelson, founder and CEO of Play from Scratch. “For my birthday my parents gave me a cardboard box full of string, wire and tape, challenging me to create even more. It was the best present of my childhood. Now that I’m a dad, I want to do the same thing for my kids, and hopefully millions of other kids, by launching Play from Scratch.”
more importantly, why didn’t i think of this? how come i didn’t come up with the tube of tubes or the world famous box of boxes? oh, wait a minute, i didn’t have to because jeff did.
i can’t wait until my bubs get their mitts on this! xo mrs. french
Design by Ana Degenaar + Development by Brandi Bernoskie
