lovin’ me some chai!

The talented Lucy Knisley created this fun recipe for Chai on her Art Journal.  I love chai.  The ultimate treat is a Starbuck’s Non-fat Chai Latte with some cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled ever so lightly among the foamy goodness of the steamed milk!  I love it but it’s so expensive.  Come on Starbucks – it’s like 4 plus dollars for that treat!  Then I started buying either the Tazo or Oregon Chai concentrate. That’s a bit more affordable at $5 a box!

Here’s my home version of my favorite treat.  Okay don’t mind the boardmaker pictures scattered amongst my treat, that’s just how it goes around here some days.  Visuals baby – it’s all about the visuals for Young Flanagan!

How does one make a delicious homemade chai latte?  Let me share my secret technique…

Pour milk into your mug of choice until it’s just about halfway full.  Heat in microwave for about a minute.  Remove from microwave, pour chai concentrate into mug until it’s about an inch from the top.  Heat in microwave for another 40 seconds.  Remove from microwave and get ready for foamy magic to appear!  Take a whisk and place it in your mug, now roll the whisk between your hands as rapidly as you can – it’s almost like you’re rubbing your hands together but the whisk handle is in between them – make sense?  Watch the foam appear!  It’s that simple!  Now check and see if it’s warm enough for you – if not, reheat.  When it’s at the temperature you so desire, sprinkle a little cinnamon and nutmeg on the top, curl up under a quilt and enjoy!  MMMMMmmmmmm good!

Considering it snowed this morning, I should probably go whip one of these yummy treats up for myself!  When I run out of my current box of concentrate, I’ll be giving Lucy’s recipe a try.  I’ll be sure to report back.  If you try it, let me know.  I just thought it was such a fun recipe that I had to share it with you. I’m nice like that.

Okay, back to the sewing machine.  T minus two days until the first Craft Fair of the season – lots to sew still.  Thank goodness Custom Orders are part of my shtick!

Have a great day!

Fee Fi Fo Fum…

Is that a zucchini or are you just happy to see me?  Can you believe this?  You turn your back on your garden for a few days and bam – you end up with a baseball bat of a zuke!  I’m thinking of getting all Martha Stewart-y on myself and carving out the inside and turning it into this beautiful centerpiece.  No not really.  In my house that would be a guaranteed “free land” APB being put out amongst the fruit fly and other insects underground publication network.  Truthfully, I’m thinking this bat of a zuke is good for nothin’ other than Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Satiny Chocolate Glaze! Remember that delicious-ness?  Yes, I do believe that is what this particular ginormous zuke is destined to become.

Now that we know what we’re doing….I best get gratin’…

Hope you are enjoying your fall days too.

rain, rain, go away, come again………..in a few weeks…

Thankfully we had a three day respite from the rain, had that not happened I think it’s safe to assume I’d need to be admitted to a mental health ward…somewhere warm and sunny.

But now we’re on day two of another patch of rain and I’ve made a reservation at the nut house – another week of this and I’m admitting MYSELF!

Thankfully Young Flanagan’s support worker just took him on an adventure – they’re off to go Candlepin Bowling and then out for dinner!  Phew…a few hours of quiet for Mama.  I’m writing this post then it’s off to the sewing machine, I’ve got a belt I’ve been dying to sew for weeks now.  I’ll let you know how it pans out.

So getting back to the wonderful break in the weather we had…

I’ve been waiting patiently for strawberry season since …it ended last year.  Finally it’s that time of year and then the rain game began – what would become of my precious ruby fruits?  Good grief, if I have to put up with this rain AND no strawberries, things are going to get pretty damn dicey round these parts.

Saturday was sunny so before a cloud could darken the sky,  I grabbed the kids and headed to the closest organic farm open for picking, Goranson’s Farm!

Seventeen pounds later….pure happiness.

The only way to top that goodness was to stop for ice cream on the way home.  Did somebody say ice cream?!

That’s one of my favorite things about summer in Maine, there’s never an ice cream stand too far away.  I love this one with the great decor and the delicious Wild Maine Blueberry ice cream.  YUM-O-MATIC..Mama had a good day!

We had thrown the rain boots in the back in case the fields were muddy but thankfully they weren’t needed – they’ve had a heck of a workout these past few weeks, they needed a day off!  I managed to pick up some more delicious Maine Maple Syrup, farm fresh eggs, and naturally raised hamburg while at Goranson’s.  One stop shoppin’ I tell ya!

So yesterday I canned 6 jars of strawberry jam. Woke up this morning and decided WHO bread was in order to go with the jam, just had the first slice warm from the oven – DEL-IC-IOUS!

Now I’m off to make that belt, then I think I see some hand pie’s in my future!  This rain has to stop or I’ll be off to the fat farm!  Then again if it doesn’t I’ll just develop a new exercise routine that involves jumping in puddles!