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Monday, June 29, 2015

Treasured gifts

The stones I have with me today are very special treasures to me. These were all gifts to me from a dear friend who has her own magical shop on etsy. Aside from the properties each stone carries, I always think there is extra magic when the stones were gifted. 


Chalcopyrite, also known as Peacock Ore - A stone that aligns all chakras and connects you with ancient wisdom. 
Quartz point - One can never have enough quartz in my opinion. A stone of clearing and magnification. 
Pyrite - A stone of abundance and manifestation. 
Amethyst - Brings calming energy.



Friday, June 26, 2015

Baked chicken jambalaya

Baked Chicken Jambalaya

When I'm feeling domestic and have enough time, I like to sit down and make out a menu and grocery list for an entire week. Some weeks I don't have the wherewithal to figure out on a Sunday what I think I'll want to eat the following Thursday, but when the mood strikes me to make a menu in advance it does seem to make life easier.

I like to get in my favorite chair, preferably with a glass of wine or a mimosa if I'm doing it in the morning, and surround myself with cookbooks and my recent pins from Pinterest and come up with a menu for the week.

Last week I was in such a mood and so I did manage to do some advance planning. One of the recipes I prepared this week was from one of my Mamma's old cookbooks, actually one I had given her as a Christmas gift some years ago.

The cookbook is from famed Cajun cook Justin Wilson and it's fun to read because he often includes little stories with the recipes.

As I often do, I put my own little spin on his recipe entitled Baked Chicken on a Sunday, cooked on a Tuesday ala Walter Guitreau. I made mine on a Wednesday so I guess now it's  Baked Chicken on a Sunday, cooked on a Tuesday ala Walter Guitrea, actually cooked on a Wednesday by Kitsey. Whew, say that 10 times fast!

The recipe is essentially a baked jambalaya. Now, I'm going to warn you, this is a super simple recipe and yes, don't judge, it does use canned soup. I know some of you (my fiance included) are snobbish about such recipes, but I'm not. They are easy to do, especially for mid-week meals.

Justin used bone-in chicken, but I cheated and chopped up some boneless chicken tenders for mine.

Combine 2 cups uncooked rice, diced chicken, a can of cream of mushroom, a can of cream of celery, two soup cans of milk and a package of dried onion soup mix in a 9x12 casserole dish.  I added a pinch or two of salt and a couple of healthy dashes of Tony Chachere's creole seasoning as well. Mix it all up real good, cover with foil and bake for about an hour on 350. I like to take the foil off for about the last five minutes or so. I recommend buttering the bottom of the dish a bit too. I didn't do that and mine got a little stuck in the bottom.

This would be great served with a nice green salad, but we just ate ours by itself and it was delish.


Thursday, June 25, 2015

Weekly Roundup

Here are a few fun things from the internet this week:

Wine pairings to go with everything in your life. This is a post from Martha Stewart via The Lush Life. Click the hyper linked life event to go to The Lush Life site for the full explanation of each wine pairing.




Photo reposted from MessyNessyChic.com




If you like pink, kitschy, vintage stuff, check out these great photos of the inside of Jayne Mansfield's over-the-top pink mansion from one of my favorite bloggers Messy Nessy Chic.







I love this message on feminine strength from Namaste Moore.

This three ingredient cookie recipe by way of a sassy little video keeps showing up in my Facebook newsfeed and I'm going to have to try it soon!

And, of course, who doesn't love Audrey Hepburn? Well now you can make her own recipe for one of her favorite dishes, spaghetti al pomodoro!



Wednesday, June 24, 2015

How does your garden grow?

I started gardening a few years ago and I love it. One of my favorite things to grow are herbs. I love to use them in my cooking.

Something as simple as adding fresh mint to my iced tea in the summer makes all the hard work of gardening worth while.

This year I have mint, rosemary, regular oregano and hot and spicy oregano, thyme and lemon thyme, basil, parsley and dill.

Once my cucumbers come in I'll be canning dill pickles using my fresh dill! I can't wait.

In the future I hope to grow many other types of herbs, including some which more magical properties.



The joyful Goddess

Stones of the joyful Goddess.
Bumblebee Jasper - A solar plexus chakra stone to awaken the Goddess within.
Shiva's Eye - A stone of third eye awakening and divine protection.
Red and Green Rutilated Quartz - A stone to bring healing and grounding to the healer, to the woman who takes it all on herself. 
Ocean Jasper - A stone of joy and happiness. A heart healer. 

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

The grounded heart

Stones for the grounded heart.


Rhodonite (left) a stone of heart healing, forgiving ourselves and loving ourselves, a stone of accepting both the light and dark parts of our nature.
Almandine Garnet (right) a stone of grounding and connection with ancestors. Can also aid in increasing stamina and strength.
Shiva Lingam (bottom) hailing from the Narmada River in India, this stone represents the duality of both the sacred masculine and the sacred feminine. Also a stone of protection.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Sacred creativity

Today's stones are the stones of protection for the creative spirit.

  • Goldstone (top center) for sunshiney, sparkly creative energy
  • Snowflake Obsidian (right) for energy clearing and protection
  • Lapis lazuli (bottom) the queen stone for power
  • Smoky  Quartz (left) for transmuting negative energy
  • Snakeskin Jasper sphere (center) for releasing what does not serve