The rest of the story...

Something Sweet

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:59:55 -0500

Can I share something sweet with you? Great, thanks!

Recently I found a box of silverware that my grandma Frankie gave
to me when we moved into our house. When she gave it to us
I picked out a few of my favorite spoons/forks, mixed them
in with another used set of more modern/contemporary eating utensils
and put the box away....totally forgetting about it until now.

WOW, it was like opening the door to a surprise birthday party when I found & opened this box!!

So many vintage spoons...roses & stars & pretty scrolls...oh my... It's funny how one simple thing can make my heart skip beats...This just made my whole entire day...

To celebrate these beautiful vintage spoons, I decided to make
something that would require a spoon. Makes sense, right?

I live in Florida, it rarely gets cold here but right
now we're experiencing a second (or is it third?) cold front...(don't laugh, Floridians aren't equipped for anything below 75*).

I was craving something nostalgic...
something that would "stick to my ribs,"
I could remember the last time Frankie said that to me, like it was yesterday.

So I made rice pudding...Rubylicious style...
As I began to cook the rice, I had a sudden stroke of inspiration thanks to my good friend Ann at Dishtopia & The Anytime Tea Bar (www.dishtopia.biz),
I quickly turned on another burner and steeped 3 bags of green tea & sprinkled some chai tea in the milk while it simmered. I had no idea what it would even
taste like, but the aroma coming from the small sauce pan was GLORIOUS!!! I knew it had to be good.
The kitchen was warm & my heart felt full as I stirred the pudding with Frankie's spoon....

Jasmine-Chai Rice Pudding
Adapted from Molly Wizenberg & Elissa, via Bon Appetit Makes 6-8 servings
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 3/4 cups of rice (I've read that short grained is better for puddings, but I used long grain since it was all I had in the pantry)
• 1/4 tsp o' salt
• 3 bags of Jasmine green tea (alternatively, I think you could use a different tea but you'll have to figure out how many bags to use & how long to steep depending on how strong it is)
• 3 cups of skim milk (if you're not into cutting calories you could go with whole milk, it probably lends a little bit more creaminess to the pudding, I find that it's plenty creamy with skim...and I'm ok with that!)
• 1 cup of half/half (you could probably use heavy cream)
• 1/2 cup of raw sugar, also known as turbinado sugar (it lends a very light toffee flavor, you can use regular old white sugar if that's all you have hanging around)
• 2 tsp good vanilla

Bring water, rice, salt to a simmer on Med/High. Once it comes to a simmer, reduce to low & cover. Simmer until the water is absorbed (approximately 10 minutes).

Pour milk into a small saucepan & submerge tea bags, open a chai-tea bag and put about 2 pinches of the tea into the milk as it simmers. ONCE it comes to a simmer remove it from heat. Be careful not to scald the milk.

Add tea infused milk, half/half (or cream), sugar & vanilla to rice. Increase the heat to MED & cook uncovered until tender. Be sure to stir frequently. Approximately 35 minutes.
Remove from heat. Divide pudding evenly among small bowls. Serve warm or press plastic wrap directly onto surface of each pudding and chill thoroughly.
ENJOY!

Beautiful Decay

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:17:32 -0400

Lately I seem to have this thing for decay, specifically with things that show signs of age...it may seem weird but I find beauty in it. After giving it some thought, I’ve realized that there are so many things that age beautifully.

Let me count the ways...

WINE gets better as it ages, we all know that.
Cheese...(ohhhhh, how I love you cheese).
Then there’s my favorite thing that improves with age....MY LUCKY JEANS! C’mon, you know it’s true. I dare you to argue :)

What’s your favorite thing that ages beautifully?

This photo was taken in Flat Rock, North Carolina. I have to say, it’s one of my favorites.
See what fans on Flickr have to say about this one:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cinnamongirlcreations/3420378462/in/set-72157620899105752/

I’ve been published!! Schmap San Francisco Seventh Edition: Photo Inclusion

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:29:07 -0400

Hi Ruby,  I am delighted to let you know that your submitted photo has been selected for inclusion in the newly released seventh edition of our Schmap San Francisco Guide:  Fisherman's Wharf www.schmap.com/sanfrancisco/tours_tour2/p=34329/i=34329_76.jpg  If you use an iPhone or iPod touch, then this same link will take you directly to your photo in the iPhone version of our guide. On a desktop computer, you can still see exactly how your photo is displayed and credited in the iPhone version of our guide at:  Fisherman's Wharf www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=sanfrancisco&sid=tours_tour2&p=34329&i=34329_76  Finally, if you have a blog, you might also like to check out the customizable widgetized version of our Schmap San Francisco Guide, complete with your published photo:  www.schmap.com/guidewidgets/p=31810802N05/c=SK20012832  Thanks so much for letting us include your photo - please enjoy the guide!  Best regards,  Emma Williams, Managing Editor, Schmap Guides www.schmap.me/emma.williams

What I Miss

Wed, 4 Mar 2009 21:07:47 -0500

i remember how i used to run to the back yard for a hand full of figs as soon as we got there.
i couldn’t wait to eat the first one, so i usually wouldn’t.
there i stood, at the fig tree. mmmm
i miss the early morning walks to the park hand in hand.
Her soft voice as She sang me a song.

~i’m sorry it took me so long~

i miss the summer trips, roller coasters.
how She wished i would grow up to be a teacher,
but said that my hands were healing hands.
i miss watching our reflection as we sat to brush through my hair.
the smell of beautiful flowers in the air
when She spritzed a little bit of perfume.

in a dream we danced...
and I missed You.

~~~Dedicated to my sweet Grandma~~~

Workin' Man gets the nod of approval

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:30:15 -0500

This is the photo that has recently received the nod of approval at the Bay Area Art Show located in The Old Hyde Park Art Center.

It was taken in Asheville NC. I remember pausing for a bit after stepping out of one of the many fine art galleries downtown. My husband is a musician so I try to support the art of music where ever I go. I decided to let my ears be my guide as I followed the melody of an acoustic guitar playing just around the corner. Upon my arrival the musician was strumming the last notes to one of my favorite tunes. I noticed that he was stopping for a lunch break with his little boy when a passerby asked if he could play something and then proceeded to drop a five dollar bill in the basket. So the workin' man put his sandwich down and began to play... that was my queue, so I went to work, and this is what I captured.

A day in the life of Cinnamon Girl...

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:04:37 -0500

I like to call myself the anti-tourist....

When I travel, I tend to go in the opposite direction of the crowds.
I like to unplug. COMPLETELY.
Something like that is difficult to accomplish when there are masses of people everywhere you turn.

So, recently a good friend of mine calls me up after a really LONG day of making everyone that walks through my office door happy (that’s my job, it’s what i do), we’ll talk more about that later. I was tired, achy, & really feeling like another runaway trip was in order.

Anyway, she tells me she’s in front of her computer with a cruise itinerary on her screen and all she needs to know is if “I’m in”. I have been known to act impulsively so I told her to hang up and give me 5 minutes to decide....
WHAT? I thought about it for a full five minutes, that’s not truly impulsive, is it?

I always thought that if I ever went on a cruise I would break it in gently and do a 3 or 4-day cruise, max...just incase, you know?
So, guess who’s going on a 7 day cruise to the western caribbean?
ME!
I’m curious...It’s really not the kind of trip I had in mind (refer to paragraph one). However, I am going with a couple of my favorite girls, I could be in the middle of NOWHERE and have fun with these two, that’s a fact.

Next, in order of importance, is deciding what I’m going to be doing on this trip....

Well, like I said before, I make people happy for a living. That’s right. I’m a licensed massage therapist, so part of my job requires me to be “ON” all the time, even when I don’t wanna be. Believe me, it’s not often but it is a tough job sometimes, especially since I haven’t quite
finely tuned my emerging good attitude & embraced the extra time insomnia adds to my wakeful life. If you’re a friend on facebook, then you’ll know that recently I’ve been sleep challenged, but, thanks to some great advice, I’m working on it. Literally, right this minute. And I’m learning to embrace it all! Really, in just a few quiet nights a lot has been accomplished in those wakeful hours, like planning this 7 day trip for example...anyway, enough about my sleeping habits.

So I found a place in the first port of call where I can get 45 minute massages for 20 bucks on the beach! Guess who’s gonna be gumby when she gets back on that ship??? Yep, you guessed it.
I plan on giving the first massage therapist I see a wad full of Andrew Jacksons and tell her to wake me up before the ship sets sail....

This is gonna be a good trip.

Stay tuned for more details on my return. BON VOYAGE!!! (well, not really...it’s officially 3 weeks & 3 days until we set sail. SO, let the countdown begin!)