THOUGHT PATTERNS

The return of Noonie, the vagabond cat

It's been a while since the last time we saw Noonie, six months or more even, but today she appeared agan, back in her usual spot, taunting the cats behind the window. Looking good and healthy, bigger and stronger. I'm glad she's back as I kept wondering through the months she was gone whether something happened to her. Today she also visited our home as well as our porch and front yard. Here is a little photo-shoot that Noonie and I did...

Noonie in our succulent garden...

Noonie in our front yard... 

Looking as cute as ever...

Exploring...

:)

Hey... play a song for Noonie, why don't you...

Back at the neighbor's back yard...

Deciding to head for home, wherever her home is...

We're glad you're back, Noonie!

xoxoxo

{read more about the adventures of Noonie here, here and here}

{all photos Tina Tarnoff}

A noodle recipe to share

I've discovered this recipe about a year or so ago and I think since then I've made it at least once a week. It's the best Thai noodle recipe I've ever tasted. And, I've tasted a fair amount of Thai noodles. The only problem is that it's so delicious no noodle dish will ever taste as good.

It's very simple to make, and here is the recipe, adapted from The Vegan Cook's Bible by Pat Crocker...

Udon Noodles with Tofu and Gingered Peanut Sauce

8 oz udon or soba noodles (or any kind or Thai rice noodles)

8 oz extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1-2 tbsp grated fresh gingerroot

1/2 teaspoon of crushed chili peppers and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp organic cane sugar or packed brown sugar

1/3 cup coarsely ground peanuts or natural peanut butter

1/3 cup warm water

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 onion, chopped

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cups shredded kale (just leaves, no stems)

In a bowl, combine tofu, garlic, ginger, chili flakes and cayenne pepper to taste, soy sauce and sugar. Set aside to marinate. In another bowl, combine peanuts and warm water. Set aside.

 In a wok or large, deep saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, lift tofu from marinade, reserving marinade, and add to wok. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly colored. Scrape tofu and onions into marinade, stir in peanuts with water and set aside.

 In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water. Set aside.

Add remaining oil to wok and heat. Add broccoli and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until tender-crisp. Stir in tofu mixture and kale. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, until kale is tender. Serve over cooked udon noodles.

I usually mix it all together before serving.

Gingery, spicy, slightly sweet, crunchy peanuts and broccoli... I particularly like how the broccoli turnes out. Yummy!

I hope you will try it. It's really easy to make and most of the ingredients were from Trader Joe's. (All but kale. Why don't you carry kale, TJ's?)

xoxoxo

{photos Tina Tarnoff}

Tea with the Broken Ladies

A very kind friend of ours sent me several pieces of lovely Royal Albert bone china several days ago. The pieces used to belong to her grandmother. There's nothing better than receiving a parcel in the mail containing dear vintage goods! The cup, saucer and dessert plates are absolutely precious and delicate and deserve a post of their own. I've asked my Broken Ladies to leave their Salon for an afternoon and join me for a little photo shoot session. The rose you will see in a couple of photos is from a bush growing wild in our neighborhood. I swear, it seems like that rose blooms a different color every year! (That can't be, right?:) The almost lavender color that appeared this year is so breathtaking.

This particular china pattern is called "Blossom Time" and it was made in the 1940s. So pretty.

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I might consider making a three tiered cupcake stand from the china using this easy DIY, which I wanted to do for a while, although I would need to find a couple of more cups of the same type. Or, I'll enjoy and use the lovely pieces as they are. We'll see.

xoxoxo

{Photos by Tina Tarnoff}

It makes me smile

One of my most cherished possessions is this vintage Edwardian Art Nouveau ring...

The stone is Aquamarine and it's stunning. It catches the light beautifully.

The most unusual part of the ring is that the shank (the bottom and lower sides of the ring) is made of 18k gold and the rest of the ring is Sterling silver. I have never seen ring made like that before and could not find out anything about it while researching on the web...

I purchased the ring from Chic Vintage Boutique on Etsy - a lovely vintage shop from UK. When the ring arrived and I opened the box my heart literally skipped a beat - the ring was so stunning and even more gorgeous in person. How often does that happen when you buy something on-line?

The diamond ring next to it was given to me by my husband, Terry. It was his mother's wedding ring and dates from around the 1930. I love it and never take it off. The two rings look like they were meant to be near each other.

Happy Sunday!

xoxoxo

{Photos by Tina Tarnoff}

Finders Keepers

I've been in need of a box to keep my paints in on my desk (not too small, not too big) and I had my mind set on a nice old wooden artist box. I've been scouring ebay for something appropriate but all I would find was either too expensive ($50 for an old wooden box!) or would get snapped up right away. Then, one of my favorite things happened, I found exactly what I wanted walking home one day from a cafe, left by someone on the sidewalk.

At first I hesitated as the box had a really ghastly old, torn, blue, velvet interior, but the exterior was "friendly" so I thought I would attempt to do something with it.

I stripped the velvet and was ready to decoupage the inside of the box when I remembered I had a roll of really cute contact paper. And 15 min later, voila!

Love it! And it will absolutely survive my messiness. Just wipe and all clean.

I love the pattern on the paper, I think the bathroom cabinets might be next to receive a makeover.

Paints and brushes feel right at home. Plenty of room for the stash of paints that I am using at the moment.

The only other thing I might do is decoupage something on the top of the box. Perhaps these two small prints of a couple of my favorite paintings by artist Walt Kuhn. One can't have too much inspiration lying around.

On a different note, our rose has been blooming beautifully...

It's a combination of white, yellow, red and dark red at the edges. The blossoms are smaller then I was expecting, but still gorgeous.

Hope your week is going well!

xoxoxo

{All photos Tina Tarnoff}

Wicked Plants at the Conservatory of Flowers

A short while ago Terry and I went to see Wicked Plants: Botanical Rogues and Assassins Exhibit at the Conservatory of Flowers in SF. It was absolutely amazing! I've got a tone of photos to share. I was sooooo thrilled that they allowed cameras inside (I was initially hiding mine under a scarf, and what a relief it was when I saw everybody snapping away! :) I'll accompany them with the text taken from the Conservatory of flowers website.

And here is this lovely/wicked place...

"Paralysis, strangulation, derangement – these are just a few of the misdeeds of the plant kingdom as chronicled by award-winning author Amy Stewart in her 2009 New York Times Bestseller, Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln’s Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities."

"And now, something wicked this way comes. It’s mayhem under glass, as the Conservatory of Flowers transforms its Special Exhibits Gallery into an eerie Victorian garden full of Mother Nature’s most appalling creations." 

"Building on the fascinating plant portraits in Stewart’s book, the Conservatory introduces visitors to living examples of dozens of infamous plants that have left their mark on history and claimed many an unfortunate victim."

"As visitors enter the exhibition, they find themselves in a mysterious, untended yard behind a ramshackle old Victorian home."

"Peeking through the window, it’s clear that a crime has just taken place. A man is slumped over on a table, a goblet in his lifeless hand, as the lady of the house flees in the background."

"Crows caw, and a rusty gate creaks. In the overgrown garden, moss covered statues rise up out of an unruly thicket of alluring plants." 

"Beautiful flowers and glistening berries bewitch the eye, but consider yourself warned – these plants have names like deadly nightshade, poison hemlock and white snakeroot. Here lurk some of the greatest killers of all time."

"The exhibition features over 30 species of wicked plants from those with famously scandalous histories to those that grow “innocently” in millions of gardens and homes today. Visitors can enjoy corresponding excerpts from Stewart’s book full of bloodcurdling tales and fascinating facts on signs throughout the gallery."

The exhibit is on till October 11, so if you find yourselves in San Francisco, I highly recommend you go. Find more info here: Conservatory of Flowers.

And some more shots of other rooms like the Water Room, the Victorian Potted Plants Room, etc... in the beautiful Conservatory of Flowers (my favorite place right now!)...

I was most impressed by the glass ceilings and ceilling fans. :) My dream is to have a small rooftop conservatory of our own!

Hope you didn't mind me going crazy with the photos. I haven't posted in a while so I thought I would compensate!

xoxoxo

{All photos Tina Tarnoff}