Bluebirds and Butterflies

My Favorite things...."Joy the Baker" Blog and Podcast/Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

I hope that you are all having a great holiday season.   When we think of Christmas and New Years, our thoughts always turn to food.....particularly, baking. Baking Christmas cookies is a big part of many people's holiday list. As a surprise, my dear husband bought me a professional gas stove not too long ago. I had been eyeing a particular stove and he totally surprised me by buying it.

One of the goals I have for 2012 is to expand and improve my cooking skills.  Now that it is in print, I am bound to it! :)   I promise that in 2012 there will be some occasional food photos and recipes added to my blog along with the regular journal and photo entries.  Towards this goal, I have been searching online for some great food blogs to inspire me.

(The next photo is my kitchen Christmas tree.  It is filled with ornaments like my little blue willow teapot, gingerbread man, Santa chef, and various other ornaments including some from Starbucks.  Gotta include them...we are in the Seattle area, ya'll :)  I also have some photo ornaments on this tree that are special to me.  The photo in the frame was the last Christmas photo of our family together celebrating my parents' anniversary December 22, 2007.  Happy Anniversary to my parents...Today is December 22, 2011....Miss you both!)

Last night, I discovered a wonderful blog called, "Joy the Baker."   I love this blog so much that I wanted to share it with you on my own blog, Bluebirds and Butterflies.  I love her recipes and her cute personality and, obviously, so do a lot of other folks as she has been featured in several magazines and food lists recommending her blog.  I found Joy's delightful blog in a Forbes list of the top ten food blogs.   If you visit her blog and feel a connection, too, you might want to purchase her book which will be coming out in February.   I can't wait to own it myself.  To introduce those who have not discovered Joy and her blog, "Joy the Baker," I have linked to her blog.  If you visit her site and click on "Meet Joy," it will take you to her video which is so cute.... It features a song I have on my ipod and "love, love, love" and shows the sweet connection and love she has for her Dad who got her started with baking.   After viewing the video, I think you will fall in love with Joy and want to add her blog to your list of daily visits, too. 

There are many great food blogs out there and I will be recommending more.   I also want to add that I don't receive any money from Joy for recommending her blog or letting you know about her book.  I am just adding this posting to my list of "My Favorite Things."   Hope you enjoy the video....   Happy Baking! 

Today's posting is dedicated to my parents....Lil and James Thompson...who went to Heaven in 2008.  Today is their wedding anniversary.  The photo I mentioned above was taken on this day in 2007....the last anniversary they celebrated and our last Christmas together.  My Mother, Lil, was a wonderful cook.  Everyone lovingly called her kitchen, "Big Lil's Diner" which was always open.  This posting is dedicated to you and Dad, Mom.  Miss you both!  Happy Anniversary!!!  (link to Joy's blog follows...)

Click here to visit Joy's blog:  Joy the Baker   Thanks for visiting me and have a great day! xoxo Kim

 

 

One of My Favorite Things....Glassy Baby

As you know, the Northwest....especially in the Seattle area....can sometimes be overcast and rainy as we head towards fall and winter.   I don't really mind the overcast days and drizzle of the winter where we live because I know that we are blessed with the most gorgeous springs and summers anywhere once the winter is over.   It is because of all the light drizzle we get in the fall and winter that we have all the magnificient green and vibrant flower color in the spring and summer. 

 

Our rains are basically a drizzle most of the time in the winter.  When my husband and I were planning to move to the Pacific Northwest near Seattle, many of my friends in Florida would say, "But, it rains so much there!"  When they visit  me in the Seattle area, however, they are pleasantly surprised to find out that our rains are really just a very light drizzle or mist.  Only occasionally do we ever get a rain like they have in Texas or Florida.  You know the kind.....the wait inside the store until it slacks off until you can run to your car to open it.  I have lived in the Seattle area almost seven years now, and have only opened my umbrella about 5 times.  :)   You quickly learn here that rain stops nothing in the Northwest.....except maybe fireworks.   You simply visit the nearest "Northface" shop, get a little waterproof jacket with a hood and just keep going...

So, with all this said, as fall begins to show it's face so do the overcast days and, today, is one of those days.   I actually love an overcast day in the morning.   When I woke up today, I opened my shutters while waiting for my coffee to brew and then lit a candle that brightens my day.   Today's posting is on something that will brighten any day and any mood.   If you have never heard of "Glassy Baby" before, I would love to introduce you today.

I love candles and have a variety of votive candle-holders.   I just adore the look and smell of a candle burning in a room.   Nothing says "welcome" like a candle.   There is just something about a candle that transforms the whole mood of a room.  

We use the word "light" to represent hope in the world.   We hear the word so much...."light of day....light of the world....light of my life...light at the end of the tunnel...light my way...light of hope, etc."   Or, as the song goes...."Come On, Baby, Light my Fire."   Whatever "light" you are looking for in your life, Glassy Baby delivers!   This little candle glows like none I have ever had before.  The first time I put a candle in one and lit it in the evening, I could not believe the magnificient glow that these "babies" deliver!   I was instantly in love with Glassy Baby candles and that is why I am putting them on my blog list of "My Favorite Things" today.  

Each Glassy Baby is made by hand in Seattle.   Because they are all hand-blown, each one is ever so slightly different.   I like this because it makes my votive unique and different from all the rest.  :)

The candles were created by a local cancer survivor, Lee Rhodes.  In 1998, Lee was a mother with small children fighting what would become a seven year battle with a rare form of lung cancer.  As the story goes, when she was going through treatment for cancer in 1998, she filled her home with candles which brightened her day and filled her with hope, a sense of healing and serenity.   Having won her fight with cancer, she began to create these beautiful hand-blown large votives with the hope of making a difference in the lives of others who might be going through something similar in their lives.  After learning to create these beautiful candle holders, she opened the door of her first shop, Glassy Baby, in 2003 in Seattle.   You will find that many of the candles have names such as the one you see in my photos, called "Joy."   There are also votives with names such as "happiness, hope or dream."   Some names are related to an experience such as "Seattle Sunset."   A few of the candles you buy will not only brighten your day but also the day of someone else.  This is because some of the candles are connected to a certain charity or cause.  When you buy one of these particular candles, a portion of your purchase money goes towards the cause that candle represents. 

I would like to share some words from the the creator about Glassy Baby:

(Lee with her children)

"In 2003, glassybaby opened its first retail store. Today, the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle is home to the company's main store and studio, where a team of dedicated glassblowers produces an average of 200 glassybaby daily. The company also has stores in Seattle's University Village; in Bellevue, Washington; and in New York's West Village at 555 Hudson.

To honor those who have walked down her same path, Lee established glassybaby goodwill, which remains the company's foundation and mission. During her cancer treatment, Lee met many other patients who could not afford even daily needs such as bus fare, childcare, or groceries. Today, much of the money donated by glassybaby goes directly toward meeting those basic needs. Each year, the company spreads hope by supporting charities dedicated to health, healing, and quality of life.

"It is at the core of this company to give back," says Lee. "When I founded glassybaby, I never knew these little glass votives would have such an impact on people touched by cancer."

As each glassybaby leaves the door, Lee, reflecting on her own journey, knows that it will play a part of light, beauty and healing in a new story. This is our journey. We invite you to join our online community and share your story as others have shared theirs."

For me, the easy part was realizing how much I LOVED the Glassy Baby votives!   The hard part is deciding which Glassy Baby to buy!   There are soooo many beautiful choices which you will see if you visit their store or their website.   When you visit the shop, the people in the store will do their best to help you narrow down your many choices, by offerring to light each one you consider so that you can see exactly how it will look with a candle burning in it.   I want to thank the ladies who helped me at the University Village shop the other day and for being patient while I stood back and gazed at each one.   I wanted them all!  Ha!   After looking at several shades in the red family, I happily went home with my "Joy" Glassy Baby.  I plan to continue adding to my collection and already have another one in mind for my next shopping trip!  

As I write in my blog today, I am enjoying the lovely glow my "Joy" Glassy Baby is creating in my upstairs den.   The day may be dreary outside today, but as I write to you and sip my delicious cup of coffee, I am enjoying the light and warmth of my candle.  Candles make a home feel so cozy and inviting. 

I want to also point out that there are also other uses for a Glassy Baby.   Many people also use them for drinking goblets, flower vases, or fill them with candy or nuts.   I can already picture a orange hued Glassy Baby filled with candy corn for Halloween!  Hmmmm.....that might be my next choice!  I am eyeing a beautiful votive, too, that I spotted at the shop called "Jane's Caramel."  Decisions, decisions....

If you visit the Seattle area, I hope that you go into one of the Glassy Baby shops and see these beautiful creations for yourself.  You can watch them being hand-blown by the artists if you visit the main shop in Seattle.  I have heard they even host parties and events there which would be a lot of fun!


For anyone who is interested, I am sharing the website at end of my blog for Glassy Baby.  You can read much more and see all the beautiful creations on the site.   You may order from their website, too.   You can also find Glassy Baby on Facebook and keep up with all their latest information. 

If you select a Glassy Baby to call your own, you will definitely see why Glassy Baby has made the "My Favorite Things" list on my blog.  

I wanted to state that I am not paid anything for promoting Glassy Baby.  I am just sharing this on my blog today because I love the candle-holders and also love you!   May your day be filled with light, warmth and love.  Have a beautiful day.   xoxo Kim

As promised, here is the site....

Glassy Baby

Beechers Cheese (one of my favorite things...)

I think most people love cheese....  Could that be part of the reason why we always say "cheese" when being photographed?  Just saying the word makes us smile for the camera.   Just thinking of it brings a feeling of comfort, too...

As you know, I recently started a list of "My Favorite Things" and, today, I would like to not only add an item to my list---but also take you to where it is made.   Oh, how I LOVE Beechers Cheese.   Lucky for me, it is made very close to where I live near Seattle.   Today, I am going to take you to their shop in the Pike Place Market area of downtown Seattle.   First we have to take the ferry from where we live over to the "Emerald City."   Come with me for a 30 minute ride to Seattle today, and lets explore Beechers Cheese shop.   I am very excited today to have you read this posting because, as you will see, you are going to get a lot of information and also a little surprise in this posting...  

I enjoy the ride over to Seattle from Bainbridge Island.  There are always things to view along the way...

Leaving Bainbridge Island...

We pass the marina in Bainbridge...

We also pass a few homes along the waterfront...

It doesn't take very long for the skyline of Seattle to come into view...

There are always sailboats on the water...

A Seattle landmark....the Space Needle...

Arriving in Seattle...

Now that we are here in Seattle, let's head through the market place towards our destination...Beechers Cheese shop...

Once inside the marketplace, the smell of fish, produce and flowers fill the air.   The market is a busy place...

I love the flowers at the marketplace....

Up ahead, I see the Beechers Cheese shop....our fieldtrip for today....

As the sign says, Beechers Cheese is made by hand.  You can even watch them make it here at the shop.  Let's step inside...

The first thing you notice is that Beechers is a busy place!  I am definitely not the only person who loves good cheese! 

 As you step in the door, you see these nice ladies behind the counter who are busy dishing up some of their famous mac & cheese served nice and warm...

They also serve sandwiches and various other things...   

The focus, however, is on their wonderful cheese....

As the next photo of the sign hanging in the shop will tell you, they use only the freshest wholesome ingredients for Beechers cheese.  Their cheese  contains no artificial flavorings, ingredients or preservatives...

The glass case features the many types of cheese that Beechers makes.  So many, it is hard to choose!  Luckily, they will give samples to help you select your favorites...

As I mentioned earlier, Beechers also makes a fabulous mac & cheese....  You can try it at the shop and even buy it boxed to take home with you to heat and serve.  

They call it the "World's Best Mac & Cheese."   I sometimes buy and serve this macaroni and cheese at my home.  I cannot rave enough about this Mac & Cheese!  I think it IS the best macaroni and cheese I have EVER tasted.  And, I am not the only one who thinks this...

There is a sign up in the store that tells you that this "World's Best" Mac & Cheese is not only a "good thing" but also a "favorite thing" and loved by television's favorite daytime divas...

Yes, that is right!  It was featured by both Oprah and Martha Stewart...  So, as if my thumbs up wouldn't be enough....Beechers "World's Best" Mac & Cheese also has the tv divas thumbs up, too!  Thank you, Oprah and Martha, for featuring something I love so much on your famous lists...

If you love cooking and would like to try their recipe at home, you can buy their cookbook---Pure Flavor---which features 125 great recipes from the Northwest.  It has a foreward written by our famous Seattle chef, Tom Douglas, too, who knows a thing or two about great food! 

The recipe is right in the book which is displayed at Beechers Cheese Shop....

You can buy this wonderful book at their shop, order it online or from your local bookstore.   I like to gift this book to my family and friends who live outside the Northwest.   Now back to the cheese...

You may be wondering by now....which cheese is my favorite?  There are MANY wonderful types of cheese at Beechers....but, I must say, my favorite is their Flagship Cheese. I also love their Marco Polo Cheese and, of course, the "to die for" Mac & Cheese...

You can see the Flagship Cheese pictured above in the case, and they are suggesting the "fruit and nut bar" as something delicious to pair the cheese with.  The Flagship cheese is great all by itself, and it is a staple at our home.  It is wonderful with wine and fruit.   My family loves this cheese and we serve it a lot.  Our guests seem to really love it as well...

If you are in question about what to pair with a particular cheese, Beechers is very happy to assist you in making a selection from their wonderful assortment of crackers, spreads, and sauces...

As mentioned earlier, you can watch the process of making some of these wonderful cheese selections right at the store...

Behind the glass window ( to the left) is a long bar with stools that looks into this work area which is always kept clean as a whistle.  You can watch the cheese being made while enjoying some of the delicious mac & cheese or a nice sandwich...

These signs hang above the long bar where you can sit and watch the process...

I love the fact that they use antibiotic free milk!   The milk comes from two local milk dairy farms.   Thank you, Beechers, for supporting our area and the local farms.... xoxo

Let's see what they are doing today...

While watching this, I am thinking that this would be a great field trip for some of the local elementary schools.   Unless lactose intolerant, most children LOVE cheese.  They also love to see how things are made...

I am sure many schools visit Beechers Cheese store in Seattle...

Wow!  Look how thick this is when he raises it up! 

Yes, I feel certain that there will be children who will grow up having some great memories of watching cheese being made at Beechers.   I am sure while visiting, they had some questions, too.    One of those questions might be, "What is a curd?"

On one of the walls in the shop is a photo of the building Beechers Cheese is in.  This photo was taken in  1897.   Beechers Cheese shop is located today on the corner.

Here is a photo I made when I visited the cheese shop last week...

Beechers Cheese is now sold in a few stores.  You may not find all the varieties that they have in the shop in Seattle...but keep your eye out for the Flagship Cheese that I love and a couple of other varieties.  I am seeing it mainly in whole foods markets.   Here is an article that is framed on the wall about the loyalty of their customers to the shop in Seattle. 

You may have heard a rumor which I can now confirm....  If you are reading my blog and happen to live in New York...  Well, I have some good news for you!  Beechers is coming to New York!!!!    The opening date  is June 24, 2011.    

Beechers Cheese is opening up a cheese making kitchen, cafe, and wine and cheese bar in Manhattan.  So, if you live near Manhattan's Flatiron District, you can visit Beechers Cheese.   If you do, tell them we said hello...  

 

I hope have enjoyed my tour of the Beechers Cheese Shop in the Pike Place Market area of downtown Seattle.  

If you visit the Seattle area, put a tour of Beechers Cheese shop on your itinerary.  Until you do visit, keep your eyes open for Beechers Cheese at your local whole foods market.  You just might spot the cheese or the "World's Best Mac & Cheese" on display.    I also urge you to visit their website: Beechers Cheese   

If you visit the website, above, you can order the cheese as well as read about the history of Beechers Cheese and watch a video with Martha Stewart when Kurt Beecher Dammeier appeared on her show not too long ago.  On the video, Kurt makes the fennel pickles that are going to be served at the new location in New York!  The recipe is also given.  You can also learn more about Kurt Beecher Dammeier's interview with Oprah...and... (surprise!) you can click on our local show, New Day, from the website above and watch Kurt make the "World's Famous Mac & Cheese" and (second surprise!) even get the recipe....  You can also go on a virtual tour of the shop in Seattle.   So, be sure and visit!   (I don't get any money for promoting Beechers or their site...)   Beechers made Oprah's very last favorite things list in December.  Kurt will tell you on the New Day Video about it and how their site crashed that day from so many people ordering and visiting!   

I hope you try Beechers delicious cheese!  If you do, you will see why it is not only "a good thing" but also tops my very own list of favorite things!   If you try Beechers Cheese, it may just very well make your list, too! 

From Seattle...   Have a beautiful day today! xoxo Kim

What I am enjoying today--My Favorite Things...

I hope you are having a wonderful day today and taking time out for YOU!  I hope you are enjoying some of your favorite things.  The words---"favorite things"---will forever make me think of Oprah and her "O List" of her favorite things.   Yesterday was Oprah's last show on television after 25 or so years of inspiring us to live an authentic life, to give to help others, to stay healthy in body, mind and spirit, to appreciate and be inspired by the written word, and to share the things we love with others.  Of course, Oprah is herself an inspirational person....look at where she came from in life and where she ended up.    If we stay true to ourselves and our dreams, you never know where the path of life will take you...

I didn't always have an opportunity to watch Oprah's show everyday.   I did, however, always watch her Christmas give away show, though.  My Mother used to love that show as well.  Sometimes, she would call me to remind me that it was on tv that day.   I always thought how exciting it must be for the people that attended the taping of that special once a year show to go home with all those fabulous things that Oprah would give away.   One thing Oprah was good about doing was to share the things she loved with others....either by giving them away or by creating her favorite things list. 

When I started my journey into the blogging world, I discovered some wonderful blogs to visit.   I am finding new blogs that I love and am inspired by every day.   I am continuing to add new blogs to my list of "other nests to visit" category.   My hope is that others will visit these creative and beautiful blogs and become inspired just as I have.   I am meeting some talented and creative people through blogging and making some wonderful new friends.   Even though not a household name like Oprah, there are many people creating blogs who are doing what Oprah loved to do....share their favorite things with others.   I want to thank so many of the wonderful bloggers that I have met through my blogging journey---YOU inspire me with your beautiful photographs, poetry, creativity, thoughts and dreams.    In blogging, that is what we do----we share...

So, today, I am starting a new category on my blog.   It will be called simply,  "My Favorite Things."   From time to time, I will be sharing something that I have discovered that I love....things that have added enjoyment to my life.   This is what friends do----they tell each other about the things that they love...

I love music and find it very inspirational.  It is always playing at my home.   My husband and I took several years of ballroom dance.   Music and dancing is a big part of our life.    I love many types of music, and my ipod playlist is quite long.   I am always finding new songs to add.   Today, I would like to share a CD that I recently purchased at the Bloedel Reserve on Mother's Day.   My husband, son, and I attended a private performance by Scott Cossu.   At the performance, we were given Scott's newest CD which was just released.  I loved the music so much, however, that I purchased a couple of other CDs from Scott's wife who was assisting him that day.   The CD I am posting in the next photo was recommended to me by several people at the performance who said it was one of their favorites...

Scott Cossu is the artist.  Here is the name of this particular CD...

It is called Emerald Pathway.   Here is the list of songs on the CD...

Here is what Scott wrote inside the CD cover...

He was nice enough to autograph the CD for me, too...

These are some of the instruments used on the CD.   I made these photos at the Bloedel Reserve at the performance...

Here is a photo of Scott Cossu.   I wish I had a better photo, but I didn't want to disturb the performance with too much clicking of my camera and take away from the pleasure of others...

I am listening to this very relaxing CD often and have it playing in my home today.   I find the music to be very relaxing and uplifting.    The music puts me in a tranquil, uplifted state whenever I play it.   I am thankful to those who recommended Scott's CD, Emerald Pathway, to me because it has become one of my favorite CDs to listen to on a quiet afternoon when I am home alone.   I sometimes listen to Emerald Pathway when I am just doing home projects or cleaning my house.    It would be very nice background music for writing, crafting, painting or entertaining, too.   

If you would love to explore Scott Cossu's music and view the CD I have mentioned, please visit his site:   Scott Cossu

I am promoting this CD only because it has become one of my "favorite things" and am not receiving any profit for mentioning Scott or his music.  My wish is simply to share something I enjoy with my friends....

Another thing I will add to my list of favorite things....

Orange-Cinnamon Market Spice Tea...

I love the combination of the cinnamon and orange in this tea.   I am drinking this tea today while listening to my Emerald Pathway CD.   Whenever I drink this particular tea, it is like giving myself a little treat.  The flavor is just delicious!   I discovered this tea at my local market---Central Market---for those of you who live in my area.   The tea originates from the Pike Place Market area of Seattle and is from a collection that has won the hearts of many tea lovers.   Market Spice tea is their signature tea.    The market place recently celebrated 100 years.   Each box contains 24 teabags.  

If you do not live near the Seattle area and would like to try this delicious orange-cinnamon tea, you can visit their site at:  Market Spice

(Clicking on the above link to make sure it worked properly on my posting, I just so happened to notice that in celebration of 100 years, every 100th customer that orders from their site gets a free gift basket! Hmmm----I better order more tea :)

I hope you have enjoyed my posting today.   I am home today doing some housekeeping at my nest.   While I am working at home, I am listening to my Cd and sipping on my tea.   I have my balcony doors opened upstairs and I also hear my windchime gently ringing with the breeze...

I am also thinking about my parents who are no longer with me....

And I'm also thinking of YOU!   Spending time with you each day is also one of my favorite things....      Have a happy day today! xoxo Kim