Michel Tcherevkoff - Chapeau de Fleur

It's been two year since my last visit to Michel Tcherevkoff's website when I shared photos of his fantasy footwear. Once again, I am blown-away by his incredibly beautiful new projects.

Hats off to his Chapeau de Fleur series - Hat assemblages made entirely with plants.

Michel's website - http://tcherevkoff.com/

What's For Dinner, Ma? (#3)

My early attempts at making Hollandaise sauce were pathetic!
The first time, it turned out clumpy and looked like scrambled eggs because I cooked it at a few degrees too hot and the eggs curdled. The second time, the egg yolks separated from the butter 'cos I undercooked it!  The third time, I didn't stir fast enough and it was just one big disappointing mess.
Thanks to this video here, I am now nearly there.

If at first you don't succeed in the kitchen, try, try again.....
but first detroy all evidence that you tried!

My recipe fails usually end up in the tummies of the neighbourhood strays and they are getting FAT!

Keepers from last week's menu......

Good luck and Bon Appetit!

POACHED SALMON IN HOLLANDAISE SAUCE - 

Silky-smooth and buttery but still a tad too thick! It tasted heavenly though!

TAMARIND PRAWNS -  Once this lands on the dinner table, it is as gone as rum cake at an AA meeting!
This is a nyonya/Peranakan recipe unique to Malaysia and Singapore.The Peranakans or Nyonyas are the descendents of the early Chinese migrants to Malaysia who settled in the country and married the local Malays.

recipe @ http://freedelicacies.blogspot.com/2011/04/assam-prawns.html

HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN

recipe @ http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/honey-mustard-chicken-fid-1274570

PORK KARAAGE -  Literally translated from Japanese as "Deep-fried Chinese style". Essentially,  it is just small pieces of chicken, meat, or fish marinated in a mix of soy sauce, garlic, and/or ginger, then lightly coated with a seasoned wheat flour or potato starch mix, and fried in a light oil. These Japanese nuggets are traditionally served with fresh lemon wedges and mayonnaise for dipping.

recipe @ http://theepicuriosity.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/tori-no-kara-age/

Felt & Zipper Crafts by Odile Gova

Enjoy these delightfully cute felt & zipper crafts by Odile Gova aka woolyfabulous. Odile is a SAHM of two, currently residing in Scarba.orough, Ontario, Canada.

Visit her etsy shop @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/woollyfabulous

Zipper Flowers

Zipper Leaves

Zipper Frog

Inspired By Lily Of The Valley

Flower Pot Brooches. Love the cactus!

Apples & Pears

Tulips

Cherries

Owly

Mushroom

Carved Gourds By Phyllis Sickles

Struck by the beautiful gourds she saw in many shops around town after moving to Arizona, Phyllis Sickles combines her  years of painting experiences along with her woodcarving techniques to begin carving gourds.
Visit her website @ gourdvisions for more info.

Banyan Tree with orchids in Grand Master category at  Wuertz Festival 2012

Saguaro Tree
This won 3rd place in the Master Craftsman category & the Peoples Choice award at the Wuertz Festival 2012

Separating Egg White From Yolk Using Bottle

I learned this neat  trick from a video in an e-mail forward from my sweet bloggy buddy Sandra Stein aka Great Granny Grandma. Thanks Sandra!  The original video is in Chinese so I am sharing this instead.



Isn't this an egg-cellant idea? And mess-free too. I am soooo using this method from now onwards.

Original video here

Autumn Decorating Ideas 2012

Although I've experienced all the four seasons individually, each in the different countries of my visits, I've never stayed in a foreign country long enough (2 weeks max) to enjoy a season in its entirety, never knowing what the changing of seasons is like as one season ends and another begins. Do you count the days 'til  winter melts into spring?  How is it like to say goodbye to the last days of summer- sad as the days begin to lose the light yet excitedly looking forward to the colourful arrival of Fall?
Yes, it's hot and sunny here all year round and a rainy day is as cold as it gets but I'm not complaining. I love waking up in the morning, assured that almost every day is a beach day and certain that the sky doesn't go dark until 7:30 PM. I love that I can step out of the house in my tees, shorts and flip-flops any time and not worry about frostbite or shattering my hip, slipping on a snow-covered driveway. And it's comforting to know that even when it rains, the sun will come out from behind the clouds in a short while.

But then again, it means I'll never get to witness autumn's spectacular show of colours when nature changes into her autumn wardrobe of gold, orange, red, brown....  I'll never get to visit a pumpkin patch or decorate my porch with jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows....

I'm actually impatiently waiting for Fall and can't wait to admire breathtaking Fall foliage, drool over pictures of pumpkins pies, enjoy hay rides ... all these through your eyes in the photos you share.

Fall is definitely my fave season and it also means my bloggy buddies who are MIA  all summer are back!!! Yay!!!
Following are some autumn decorating ideas I love, love, love and wish, wish, wish I could do.

via http://ciaonewportbeach.blogspot.com/2011/09/orange-you-glad-its-pumpkin-time.html

via http://homeiswheretheboatis.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/harvest-hayride/

via bhg.com

via CountryLiving

via  http://howtonestforless.com/2011/08/22/get-inspired-autumn-decor-ideas/ 

Cut Dollar Tree pumpkins in half, decorate, & hang

via bing.com

via http://www.midwestliving.com

via  http://www.bhg.com/decorating/seasonal/fall/fabulous-fall-centerpieces/ 

Play With Your Food

A group of seriously talented cookiers have collaborated on a project they called "Play With Your Food"!

The rules were  #1 to have fun, #2 choose a game, activity, toy etc that you can *play* with.

Enjoy their submissions...

ARTY McGOO - Paper dolls
more pics  @ http://artymcgoo.blogspot.com/2012/08/play-with-your-food.html

COOKIES WITH CHARACTERS - Flip book
link - http://kristascookieswithcharacter.blogspot.com/2012/08/go-play-with-your-food.html

PALESTINE PAINTED COOKIE - Word Search and Cross Word
link - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Palestine-Painted-Cookie/117050834995523

MT LOOKOUT SWEETS - Cards and Poker Chips
link - http://www.facebook.com/mtlookoutsweets

KOOKIE KREATIONS BY KIM - Cootie
link - http://kookiekreationsbykim.blogspot.com/2012/08/play-with-your-food-collaborative.html

FLOUR BOX BAKERY - Scrabble

link - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Flour-Box-Bakery/173731761312

LIFE'S A BATCH - Candy Land

link - http://lifesabatch.com/?p=1196

SWEET TWEETS - Pin The Tail On The Donkey

link - http://www.facebook.com/vickisweettweets

JILL FCS - Twister

link - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jill-FCS/212511055506815

SWEET DOUGH - Dominoes
link - http://www.facebook.com/SweetDoughcookies

OH, SUGAR! EVENTS - Wooly Willy
link - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oh-Sugar-Events/112788605471341

THE COOKIE COUNTESS - Words With Friends
link - http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Cookie-Countess/103080619783637

FLOUR-DE-LIS -  Miss Pac-Man

link -  http://www.facebook.com/flourdeliscc

CUPOOKIE -  Hungry Hungry Hippos
link - http://www.facebook.com/cupookie

OH, SUGAR! EVENTS - Marble Maze
link - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oh-Sugar-Events/112788605471341

SUGARBELLE - Fisher-Price Classics

link  - http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/blog/2012/08/play-with-your-food-project-vintage-toy-cookies/

TLC (TRINNIE LOVES COOKIES) - Monopoly

link - http://www.facebook.com/TLCTrinnieLovesCookies

SWEET HOPE COOKIES - Horseshoes, Jacks, Marbles, Pick Up Sticks
link - http://www.facebook.com/SweetHopeCookies