Free Lemonade Goodies- version for all ages

The lemonade goodies are finished and ready for you to download!

There are gift tags, decorative spots and more. I even included some journal spots for you scrapbook artists. If you check out the photos you will see I made some simple cupcake picks with the decorative spots and a toothpick. For more elaborate cupcake picks try backing them with colorful paper and tissue paper. We would love to see what you make from these.

So call your friends and start squeezing some lemons to throw your own summer lemonade party!


click the link below for download:
Free Lemonade Download-kids version


Copyright Farouche 2009. The download is for personal use only, not to be sold.

Paella- Round 1

We hope everyone had a pleasant weekend with no trips to the burn unit!

Joe and I have been wanting to make Paella for a while now and thought Saturday would be the perfect time since it feeds a lot of people. Instead of the traditional 4th of July BBQ we cooked over a fire pit. We started the fire about an hour before to get some steady coals to cook on. It made a for a relaxing day watching the fire and sipping on spiked limeade.


Paella- Round 1
......................................

1 shallot
4 cloves garlic
1 orange or red bell pepper
1 chorizo sausage
1 Andouille sausage
3 Roma tomatoes
4 chicken thighs
cumin
creole seasoning
garlic powder
2 -14 oz cans of chick stock
2 tablespoons honey
3 large pinches of saffron
3/4 bottle good lager beer*
*chefs gets to drink the remainder
3 cups short grain Spanish rice
.................

-rub chicken with cumin, garlic powder and creole seasoning

- in a small bowl add 1/4 cup stock, saffron and honey
heat in the microwave to steep the saffron and set aside for later

-in a hot paella pan with olive oil sear chicken and sausage
once browned remove from pan

-saute shallots and minced garlic
-add rice and stir

-add saffron mixture and stock

-stir the rice until 3/4 cooked and add beer

-add meat back in to warm then add bell peppers
do not stir the dish at this point
you want the bottom to toast lightly to make a socarrat

- at the last minute of cooking add diced tomatoes

-eat with mouth
.................

We stayed up late laughing and drinking with friends while watching fireworks on the beach. The next morning we started off with Bloody Mary's and a 'little hair of the dog.' I love our Bloody Mary's- they are closer to spiked Gazpacho than a plain cocktail. We had most of the traditional ingredients plus pickled okra, baby corn on the cob, kosher salt, celery seed and a couple basil leaves to garnish. Every time I see tiny baby corn I think of Tom Hanks in Big and smile.

Firecrackers

This is a public service announcement from the good people at Farouche.

'Firecrackers, smoking jackets, and martinis don't mix.'
Have a happy and relatively safe fourth of July everybody. We would like to see all of you back here after the weekend with all of your fingers and toes still attached!

Freshly Squeezed

In celebration of summer we will be giving away lemonade themed goodies very soon. All you have to do is pick a nice shady spot in the backyard, get out your favorite glass pitcher, bright tablecloths and do a little crafting. How fun is that! Ask your family and friends that have lemon trees if they have any extras and make sure and check back for your free download to throw your own sensational lemonade party!

Sunshine and Aqua

To me, these are the colors of summer... sunshine, popcicles, and pools. Living on the coast we don't get the hot, hot summers that I remember as a child. I was raised in the central valley of California. The air even smelled different in the summertime. I don't know how to explain it, it just smelled like summer. It was like the 100 degree weather mixed with the breeze and you got wisps of fresh grass, barbecues and sunshine when you inhaled.

Growing up you knew every kid who had a pool and what amenities it came with. You even had a mental tally of if they had an air conditioner or a swamp cooler and if their mom kept otter pops stocked in the freeze. I bet anyone who ever grew up like this has a vivid memory of what bare feet sounds and feels like when they slap against wet concrete. Happy summer everybody!

doe-c-doe

I just found doe-c-doe via flickr and the doe-c-doe blog. I had to share these whimsical images with you. I love the way she combines toy figurines with paint by number back drops. It is interesting how items that are trying to resemble real life still feel very quaint and nostalgic when put together. I can almost smell the grassy hillside the ewe is grazing in. Oh, wait... it's plastic and paint, that's right. Doe-c-doe also has an online shop, give it a peek if you get the chance.

Sand and Suntan Lotion

clock wise from top left:
Retro Vertigo, Ladies and Gentleman, Alexandra Grablewski
Daylite and Dark, Nesta, the Vintage Closet, Irene Suchocki

We are lucky that we live within walking distance of the beach. I must admit over time it is easy to take for granted. Today's post was inspired by all of the day trippers I saw this weekend. Cute couples and families dressed in bright summer clothing. Parents wanting to give their children happy summer memories.

I get a kick out of how some people prepare for a day at the beach. There are the under prepared ones who forget sunblock and a sweater. Then there are the over prepared who are ready for anything that comes their way. I am sure you have either seen the type or are related to one. The families that come equipped with 2 ice chests, umbrellas, radio, sandcastle tools, 3 types of sunblock, inflatable toys and more chairs than people. Often the father of these families seems all to used to the drill and somehow carries the lot like a pack horse.

Home Grown

To say I like home grown tomatoes might be an understatement. They are top of the heap on the list of the five foods I would choose to be stuck on a desert island with for the rest of my life. In the summer I can be completely content with a sandwich made of thick slices of tomato, black paper, a little slice of cheddar and mayo on sourdough bread. For me, it doesn't get much better than that!

If you have yet to try growing your own produce why not give it a go this summer. A victory garden can feed more than a household if you have the space. Even if you don't have land try growing what you can on a balcony, deck or kitchen window. The flavor of home grown produce is worth the effort and you can share the extra bounty with your friends and neighbors.

Numerical Order

These adding machines make me feel like wearing a pencil skirt, cardigan and pumps all while trying to find an Automat to eat lunch at. Oh, and of coarse I would have a smart little jacket on with a satin lining in some wild color that perfectly matched the skirt. Ah, to be an office girl in the late 50's. Have you ever noticed how neat office supplies used to look? The best manufactures have done lately is make the red stapler and that glory is owed to the movie Office Space.

There are a dozen bad puns about numbers in my head but, I will save you the pain. Instead I will leave you with a bad number joke I remember from elementary...
'Why was six afraid of seven? Because seven ate/eight nine!'

Bright Lights

"I'll show 'em. Someday my name is gonna be in bright lights on the marquee."

Okay fame hounds, you can stop holding your breath for the chance to see your name in lights. Now you can do it yourself with these marquee letters from Urban Outfitters. I can think of a zillion words I would like to spell out. However, if I had to pick just one word it would be a simple...

Butterscotch Delight

Butterscotch Bakelite is like a little art deco sunshine. Considering that these pieces have been around since the 1930's I wonder what they have been witness to. Maybe one was the dress clip of a mob bosses' dame or the broach on a fun-time-girl's shoulder at a speakeasy.

Happy Friday

Cheers to the weekend!

The good people over at Yee Haw Industries created this letterpress poster for Jack Daniels Whiskey. When it comes to letterpress they really know their onions. They have more goods than you could shake a stick at!

If you are a fan of old No. 7 or just want to find some new music to enjoy try The Devil Makes Three. They even have a song about the Tennessee whiskey and drinkin' in heaven. Happy Friday everyone!