Artist Market

Ok, this is very difficult to read but wanted to let you local folks know about the Artist Market going on next Saturday, March 19 here in Charleston.  Blue Chickadee is very excited to be participating in this event and hopes you all will come out to support your local artists!  The event will take place at the Music Farm from 10am-3pm and it's FREE!!!!  See you there!

Here are a few of the very talented artists blogs/ etsy shops.  Have a look...

www.neveinspired.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vinyasamama

http://www.chuck-keppler.com/gallery2.php

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dodelinedesign

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PerlaAnne

http://www.etsy.com/shop/finkelsteins

Tuesday Food Day

Thai Spicy Curry Noodle Soup

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If you are a fan of Thai food/ curry/ spicy food-you are in for a treat!  I cannot tell you how unbelievably good this was.  Yes, pretty time consuming but so worth it and a lot of leftovers!!!!  I should have changed the name to Spicy Shrimp Noodle Soup because that was the first thing I changed.  There were some other major tweaks made purely as a result of my laziness and unorganized life. As you will see under the prep section, you can make most of this ahead. I will include those changes in blue.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped shallots
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass (from bottom 4 inches of about 3 stalks, tough outer leaves discarded)(did not add bc could not find at Harris Teeter) would have been an awesome addition!!!
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons Thai yellow curry paste(thought we had some, we didn't-oops)
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)
• 2 13.5- to 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk, divided(again, an oversight, only one can)
• 5 cups low-salt chicken broth(added 2 more cans of chicken broth to compensate for lack of coconut milk)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 cups snow peas, trimmed
• 2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled red-skinned sweet potato (yam; from about 1 large)
• 1 pound dried rice vermicelli noodles or rice stick noodles
• 3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced(no chicken, only SHRIMP)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion(no red onion)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 red Thai bird chiles or 2 red jalapeño chiles, thinly sliced with seeds(not necessary bc already pretty spicy)
• 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
• 
  

Preparation

• Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add next 4 ingredients; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in curry paste, curry powder, and chili paste. Add 1/2 cup coconut milk (scooped from thick liquid at top of can). Stir until thick and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add remaining coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and sugar; bring broth to boil. Keep warm. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover and keep chilled.
• Cook snow peas in large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, about 20 seconds. Using strainer, remove peas from pot; rinse under cold water to cool. Place peas in medium bowl. Bring water in same pot back to boil. Add sweet potato and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Using strainer, remove sweet potato from pot and rinse under cold water to cool. Place in small bowl. Bring water in same pot back to boil and cook noodles until just tender but still firm to bite , about 6 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water to cool. Transfer to microwave-safe bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Bring broth to simmer. Add chicken; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add sweet potato; stir to heat through, about 1 minute. Heat noodles in microwave in 30-second intervals to rewarm. Cut noodles with scissors if too long. Divide noodles among bowls. Divide snow peas and hot soup among bowls. Scatter red onion, green onions, cilantro, and chiles over soup. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2008/01/spicy_curry_noodle_soup_with_chicken_and_sweet_potato#ixzz1FaWjrIFb

Working

Aren't these work spaces amazing!!  I think my favorite is this first one.  Love the caramel colored leather chair, light fixture, dark wood walls in an otherwise white space, the list goes on....

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Dreamy clean white space to clear my head and get creative.

Oh yeah, right.  In another life....

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I love this desk area.  Looks like reclaimed wood held up by brackets attached to the wall??? 

 This is good.  

Liking the use of space.

I'm getting kind of sick of the lucite chair phenomenon but these are pretty great, don't you think!

Oh and the light fixture.  My head is spinning....

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So back to reality.  

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I'll be heading back to my cave like studio above the garage about 7:45 tonight after all little people have said their prayers and are dreaming of backhoes and diggers.  Seriously, that's what little R says he's going to dream about each night and he tells me he hopes I dream about Barbies and princesses.  Gotta love the 3.75 year old little guy, even after he tells me to 

"leave me alone mommy!  I'll be better if you just leave me ALONE. ok?!"

Am I really that bad??

color combo love

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Not only loving the color combo, but the headboard is pretty awesome too.

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I'm thinking I really want this dress!!! 

 What do you think? 

 Good?  Bad?  Ugly?

dwell studio

diamond ikat citrine pillow

$58

reminds me of this little number...

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Rat Race

Seriously, every morning is a rat race for me!  Do you ever feel that way?  It's like a game and I try to get as much done as possible.... like a timer is going to go off and say "your time is up.  You may not do one more thing."  Ridiculous I know, but that's how I feel.

So, on that note, I raced around as usual to get a pic of my most recent project in baby g's room before he took a nap...and now 5.5 hours later I am finally getting around to posting that pic.  Soooo, why did I race around like a crazy person all morning?

 I'm thinking I need to hang it a little lower but for now, it is what it is.

This fabric came from a shop on Etsy called Helen Rawlinson.  All the fabrics are hand screened printed.  I especially love this one because it reminds me of fish.

Fabric Envy

Ok, so I know I am way late in the game on commenting on how great these Trina Turk fabrics by F. Schumacher are, but every time I see them, it makes me realize "oh, how I love them so and I don't think I would ever get sick of them in my house...ehhhummm, as accents in my all white playroom."   Caitlin over at Caitlin Wilson Design introduced me to 

 Inside Fabrics. Apparently it is the place to go if you are looking for designer fabrics on sale.   

( Even at a sale price they may only be good as one sided pillows for moi:)

santorini print- marine 

$64.40

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arches print-orange

$68.60

plum cushion via etsy

high voltage-smoke

$86.80

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trellis knot-java

$91.00

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Stay tuned because I have some hand painted burlap pillows similar to the brown and white square pattern above and the chevron pillows in the image before that.  They will be available soon through

Sidney over at Eclectic the shop.  Definitely check out her shop soon if you haven't already done so because she has some great finds!!!!

Tuesday Food Day

Yummo!!!!  

This is what we had for supper last night and I just had to share.  This was so easy and any sort of meat could be added and be super yum too!  I made a few adjustments so I will put those in blue.

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Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta & Cabbage Slaw

Yields: 6 tacos, 2 servings

Adapted from here.

For the black beans:

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained( I used 2 cans)

1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic clives, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp. ground cumin (1 tsp)

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the cabbage slaw: 

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tbsn. lime juice

2 cups coleslaw mix (used finely chopped lettuce instead)

2 green onions, chopped (onion instead)

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tbsn. mayonnaise (optional) (YUCK-DID NOT USE!!!)

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the tacos

2 tbsn. olive oil

6 corn or flour tortillas (wheat)

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

hot sauce, for serving

guacamole

"In a medium pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the black beans, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Use a fork to slightly mash the beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. To make the cabbage slaw, mix 2 tsp. of olive oil and lime juice in a medium bowl. Add the coleslaw, green onions, cilantro and toss to coat. If desired, you can also add the mayonnaise for a creamier slaw. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat 1 tsp. of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add three tortillas in a single layer. Once golden brown, flip, then spoon 1/4 of the bean mixture onto each tortilla and cook for 1 minute or until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining tsp. of oil and tortillas. Fill the tacos with feta and slaw. Serve with hot sauce, lime wedges and sour cream."

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And I just had to include a few shots of my boys from the weekend...

Daddy took little R to get his soccer gear this weekend.  

Super pumped!

Baby g up to no good at my brother's house after my niece's christening.  

(Big R looked at him when I got him dressed and said "Un Uhh, he's not wearing that. That's a girl thing to wear."  and I said, "Too bad. "  Sorry monkey:))

This is the last time though, right.  Bustin' out....