This is what I've had for lunch a couple of times this week-I love this recipe-it's perfectly summery and oh so easy (Two qualities I love when it's my turn to cook.)
Dressing
1/4 virgin olive oil
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 clove of garlic minced or put through the press
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. of black pepper
>>>>>>>>>
1 Package of Penne Pasta
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
1 package of baby spinach
Top with Parmasan Cheese
You could also add:
Basil
Pine Nuts
Arugula (in the place of spinach)
Capers
For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt,garlic and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10minutes(the pasta I buy says 11 minutes and in my experience 11 minutes is perfect.) Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
In a high-sided skillet, whisk the butter over medium heat until melted. Simmer until foamy. Continue to cook until the butter has a nutty aroma and turns a caramel color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pasta, dressing, spinach, petite diced tomatoes. Toss until coated, adding the reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce, if needed. Transfer to a large bowl and serve.Top with Parmasan cheese and pine nuts if desired.
July 28, 2011
"Summertime... and the Living Is Easy" Lemon Penne Pasta
July 22, 2011
July 19, 2011
Paying It Forward
My blogging/soaping buddy and all around good friend Amy-over at Great Cakes Soapworks has honored Tierra Verde Handmade Soaps with "The Versatile Blogger" award. If you make soap and read soapy blogs-you probably know Amy-she is known for her generous sharing of information and techniques. Her soap is always beautifully executed and most definitely a testament to her own unique style, but most of all Amy is a lovely person that I am honored to know.
I borrowed this information regarding the award from Amy's blog.
The concept behind the Versatile Blogger Award is to follow a few rules and then pass it on to whatever blog you think deserves it. The rules are:
1 – Make a post and link it back to the person who gave you the award (and include their website address)
2 – Share 7 random things about yourself
3 – Award 7 recently discovered bloggers with this award and contact them to let them know they have won
Now on to the 7 random things, hmmmmm
1) I am a huge "I Love Lucy" fan-I love that era-the clothes, the humor, the writing-it's all so innocent and genuinely funny with out being torrid.
2) My husband is 2 years younger than me.
3) I've read all of "Gone With The Wind."
4) One of my favorite movies is "The Sound of Music." Yep, I'm a bit of nerd.lol!
5) I used to have a crush on Cat Stevens.
6) I was THE swim team in high school.
7) I was five years old when we had a devastating tornado here in Lubbock-and I remember bits and pieces of it. I used to be mortified of thunder,lightening and storms-but I have since overcome that fear and now I love storms.
Now to pay it forward-because I think this is a fun way to learn interesting tidbits about my blogging buddies. I would like to nominate the following blogs.
Inner Earth Soaps
Cocobong
Jenora Soaps
Joyful Soaps
Revive Bath and Body
Two Blooms Design Studio
Simply Soap
July 15, 2011
Fresh Lemon Has a Fresh New Look
Fresh Lemon - Garden fresh lemons; Sunny and bright with a note of earthy green, a perfect way to revive and refresh your senses. Pure essential oils provide fabulously fresh scent and a happy yellow color to the soap while olive oil infused with calendula calms and soothes your skin.
Fresh Lemon has always smelled fabulous now she has a fresh new look! The newest edition of Fresh Lemon will be ready Aug. 11. 2011-until then there are still a few bars of the previous edition left. Pick yourself a Fresh Lemon today!
So, this photo is the first taken on the manual setting. I find yellow a very difficult color to get right-it washes out very easily looking almost white(hint-white balance is your friend.lol!) I wasn't able to get a good yellow via manual-this is a photo my husband took. I am going to work on learning the manual side of photography, mostly because I've noticed that when you do get a feel for the settings-the colors just come alive in a way that Auto photographs just do not. I think it may be a long journey for me, but in the end so worth it.
July 10, 2011
July 8, 2011
What's On Tap for Fall? Help Me Create "The Perfect Fall Blend" and Win a Free Bar of "Our" Creation
Pale Ale- "Barley and Hops"
Plans are underway for a few special soaps for Autumn-one of which will include an intoxicating bubbly brew of beer and a specially fitting essential oil blend. Help me create the "Perfect Fall Blend" and win a free bar of "our" collaborative efforts.
Here is the theme-
Autumn-the season for tailgating, football games,the glowing orange orb of the Harvest Moon, bon fires that light up the West Texas sky, and the crackle of fallen leaves.
The soap will consist of a beer base- Beer provides a warm nutty canvas for spicy notes of cinnamon and clove, or perhaps a bit of lavender and anise... just like the ever popular bubbly beverage can be infused with the subtle taste of wood,spices,fruit, and grains;beer soap can be infused with subtle nuances of scent. Help me select a special blend of "nuance" for a limited edition Autumnal Beer soap and win a free bar. Make a suggestion based on these choices of essential oils.What essential oil blend speaks Fall to you?
Sweet Orange
Lemon
Cedarwood
Lavender
Pink Grapefruit
Anise
Clove Leaf
Rosemary
Vanilla
Bergamot
Blood Orange
Fir Needle
Spearmint
Peppermint
Litsea
Cinnamon
Lemongrass
Ginger
Mandarin
Lime
Suggestions will be taken until July 30. I will make a choice based on-
1) How closely the blend fits the theme
2) How nicely the essential oils will play together
3) How complimentary the blend is to beer
*Sadly this contest is applicable for US and Canadian residents only.(A big apology to my international friends.)
July 7, 2011
Easy Peasy Basil Tomato Pizza-It's What's for Dinner
I had some homegrown basil and was looking for a way to use it-ahhhh pizza is a great idea. We started out with a store bought crust (but of course you could make your own)with which we drizzled some EVOO on; followed by pizza sauce (again store bought)followed by a bit of an Italian cheese blend, thinly sliced Roma tomatoes, fresh sweet basil, finely chopped garlic and a bit of sea salt. The resulting delicious masterpiece is my new favorite pizza. I am just not into the Pepperoni, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, hamburger-pile all the meat you can find type of pizza. I love this because it's so easy and fairly nutritionally sound- give it a try!
July 6, 2011
Steps to Take if Supplies Arrive Damaged (and a Vent)
So, what do you do if a driver (affiliated with a well known shipping co.)leaves this on your porch-doesn't ring the doorbell, and runs to his truck?
1) Take photos immediately before you move the damaged, contaminated,oozing, grimy product.
2) E-mail supplier with photos attached
3) Call supplier who then advises you to file a claim with (well known shipping co.)
4) File a claim immediately with (well known shipping co.) They will ask a plethora of questions and then you are required to keep the dilapidated, oozing, sad, useless,dirty, filthy, grimy bucket of stuff for 5 days in case the (well known shipping co.) wants to investigate. Shipping co. then notifies supplier who then makes the decision whether or not to send said supply again. Ugh! (rant over)
July 5, 2011
Business Tip Tuesday-Seven Tips to Make Your Customers Love You
These days when every customer counts, what are some steps you can take to keep your customers in your corner ? Over the next 7 weeks I will post 7 ways to make your customers love you. Tip #5 Never Assume
Never assume. You may think you know what your customers want. A high percentage of new businesses fail because they try to create demand where there isn’t any. Test out your market and start small, build your product around the wants, needs and desires of your target market. A great way to test your market is to introduce your product to friends, while also working shows and markets to see how your product sells. Is there a good amount of repeat business, are you receiving wholesale inquiries? Listen closely to what customers tell you about your products, is there something you need to improve on, are they requesting a larger variety? Not only will you be able to get a better handle on your customers needs by listening to their input,but you will also be able to exceed their expectations creating a win/win situation for both customers and your business.
July 2, 2011
July 1, 2011
June 30, 2011
It's a Most Excellent Day!
Squeeeeee! Tierra Verde Handmade Soaps is featured on Modish- one of my all time favorite blogs! Thank you so much-it really is an honor!
June 29, 2011
Solid Shampoo-The Saga Continues
As many of you know, I have been using solid shampoo since April. Though it took me a bit to find the right combination of oils and super fat I have to say that my hair has finally settled in nicely to the very latest formula. My hair is very thick and tends to be very heavy-I have to say that with the new regimen my hair seems to have much more volume, and just seems clean and happy in general. Yay!
I would also like to add that my 19 year old son recently acquired one of my shampoo rounds to try and his hair has never looked better - a noticeable difference. He was over the other day and I could instantly see that it was far less oily and in fact shiny. He told me he was rather impressed, and was totally sold on solid shampoo. So there you have it.
June 25, 2011
A Virtual Fieldtrip to Wildseed Farms-Fredericksburg, Texas
Yellow Cosmos
Indigenous Prickly Pear-a huge and beautiful mass
Prickly pear lend themselves nicely to a piece of prickly pear sculpture
A peck of peppers - aren't they pretty?
More peppers-in vibrant red
Water lily at the water feature section of Wildseed Farms
A rock planter filled with a complementary chartreuse planting.
Spectacularly colorful field of Zinnias
To compliment my love of soap I have an interest in plants(mostly herbs) as well. So, when we decided to take a quickie trip to Fredericksburg, Texas I had to fit in a visit to Wildseed Farms. Wildseed Farms is the largest working wildseed farm in the U.S. The farm has over 200 acres of cultivated acreage at it's Hill Country Headquarters. Along with breathtaking fields of wild flowers Wild Seed Farms boasts several other attractions that make it a great place to spend an afternoon. The Market Center houses all kinds of gifts and edible goodies and it's a beautiful building featuring construction of limestone and Eastern cedar. The meadows are fields of wildflowers perfect for photo ops(so don't forget your camera)and the butterfly garden is a habitat that attracts,protects and nourishes butterflies throughout their growth cycle.The pottery and plant nursery boasts a variety of whimsical pottery, sculptures, wind chimes and all things that add color and interest to your garden-and finally when you've seen it all(and you're hot a sticky.) Don't forget to take a load off at the "Brewbonnet Biergarten" where you can find a bite to eat and a cold beer. Sounds like a great afternoon huh?
June 24, 2011
Beautiful Thing Friday
Prickly Pear Sculpture-Wildseed Farms
If you are like me and plants cow in fear(due to my less than "green thumb")-this is the plant for you. They also had a gorgeous barrel cactus sculpture-be prepared to spend a few 100 dollars though!
June 22, 2011
Tweaking and a Reminder
Lavender Shaving Round - 3.75 oz
I decided to tweak my round packaging just a bit. I really love the pleating and texture more in the front, so the back is now the front-love it!
Lavender Rustica 4.5 oz
Romantically rustic; encrusted with lavender buds (with a few sprinkled throughout) this soap is for the person who is romantic at heart. Immerse yourself in the calming, soothing warmth of lavender and vanilla while restoring soulful balance to the end of a long day.
Limited edition - Lavender Rustica is listed over at the Tierra Verde Handmade Soaps website and will be ready to go tomorrow June 24. It has darkened a bit (as of course a soap with vanilla does) and it smells just beautiful.
June 21, 2011
Business Tip Tuesday -Seven Tips to Make Your Customers Love You
These days when every customer counts, what are some steps you can take to keep your customers in your corner ? Over the next 7 weeks I will post 7 ways to make your customers love you. Tip # 4 Stay In Touch/Relationship Building
Stay In Touch/Relationship Building – While the frequency may vary, every customer should receive an “off line” touch at least once per quarter. Stay in touch with e-mails and newsletters even more often. Over time, as you relate to your customers you will develop a relationship, especially if your “touches” are informational or educational and are designed to reach out to them in a more personal way. You might share a recipe, or information on an upcoming local event – something that will be of interest to your customer that is not a product pushing correspondence. Relationship building is not always about selling your product, but is about relating to the customer in a more personable way.
June 19, 2011
A Very Kind Review over at Jenora Soaps
Back in May, my soaping buddy Jen of the ever hopping Jenora Soaps blog and creator of Naturalmente Meditterraneo soaps purchased some Tierra Verde Handmade Soaps to give them a try. I am happy to report that they were well received - whew! You can read her kind and gracious review here. Thank you so much Jen, and I am so glad to know you were happy with them. xoxo Michele
Here are the soaps she tried out>>>
Orange Honey Drizzle with Oats
Creamy Coconut with Lime and Clove
Warm Cedar Shave Round
June 18, 2011
A Trip Down Under
In simple layman's terms, the Natural Bridge Cavern was created by an underground river moving slowly throughout the cracks and pores eroding away the limestone. Rainwater seeping through the limestone dissolved the limestone over time creating passages and rooms.
The Discovery Tour that we took takes you 18 stories down inside the earth where the temperature is a constant 70 degrees with humidity of 99%.Ugh! Believe me when I tell you-it is not the 18 stories down into the caverns that is the problem ,but the 18 stories back up and out. Whew! This ol' gal is out of shape.
Natural Bridge Caverns is an awe inspiring natural geological formation and something I will always remember.
Natural Bridge - the span was left suspended when a sink hole collapsed below it.
Entrance to Natural Bridge Caverns
Broomstick stalagmites are tall and spindly
Beautiful stalagmites
A large column;columns are formed when a stalactite and a stalagmite meet.
The Living Fern- the only living plant in the cave. The spores were believed to have been brought in on an explorers clothing where they were deposited then germinated next to a light.
Do you see the old man?
My daughter thought this formation looked like a brain.
King's Throne
Look carefully and you can see a fried egg in the formations in this room.
June 17, 2011
Beautiful Thing Friday
Zinnias at Wildseed Farms
Flitting amongst these Zinnias were the biggest bumble bees I have every seen. Boy! They had a lot of work to do - bussssy, bussssy little bees. :))
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