Changeling

Salad dressing

A different way of dressing a salad :

Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber
Soy sprouts
Cilantro

Wash and prepare everything inside a bowl.

1tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tbsp Salt
2 tbsp sugar

Mix everything and dress the salad.

Australia

Nicole Kidman

Hugh Jackman

Thinking small

The little ones are so special,

wrapped in their small cocoons,

... surrounded by flowers

that spread their scent in the air.

Girls only in this world,

eating candies,

painting the room with small drops of pink.

Girls that walk on the streets, full of dreams,

wishing to touch the sky on a cold day,

trying to stay warm,

... wanting to feel comfortable,

...and beautiful,

all of them, at the end,

searching for a safe place.

Small details make the difference...

The same girls that were thinking small,

will be the ones,

that one day will become marvelous women.

Written/Handmade by: PopCloud

Cumplices

According to the poll, "What makes you fly", the majority chose "Listen to a song".
Here is one of my favorite portuguese songs. Which one is your favorite?




Mafalda Veiga - Cumplices

Curry chicken

1 chicken breast (cubed)

1 minced small onion

2 tbsp curry

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tbsp allspice

1/2 tbsp ginger

1/2 tbsp nutmeg

1/2 tbsp paprika

1 chili pepper

1 cup of hot water

5 tbsp coconut milk

1 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp olive oil

Saute the onion in a large frying pan. When the onion starts to turn color add the curry and stir for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste for 3 minutes and stir. Add the rest of the spices and stir for 3 minutes.

Add the chicken, salt, chili pepper (cracked open) and stir. Pour in a little hot water and stir, until the sauce thickens. Continue this until the water is gone.

When the chicken is cooked add the coconut milk and let it thicken.

I served it with mashed potatoes and peas. (Leftover from thanksgiving)

Enjoy :)

Afternoon Sun

Picture taken in Algarve, Portugal

The sun consumed the shining yellow skies, spreading the rays of light through the houses of the village illuminating the dark divisions, observing through the trees searching for unprepared couples in the bushes, coloring girls' shy faces that were close to the sin, burnishing the landscapes, transforming them into postcards of strong colors that would be delivered into photographs prepared to fill hearts that would be kept in closed drawers after seeing them. And, right over there, inside of the several drawers of the planet, that afternoon sun would be dead, letting the destination lay it down inside of the dusty furniture next to the forgotten letters and unusable boxes of remedies. Removing all the color of the photographic paper transforming it into dark night without stars, filed in a minimum space with no light and suffocating it without ever shining again.

What flower are you?

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?

I am a Lily, Beeem :)
What are you?

Gray and Pink

My friend Snow Bunny asked me to knit a hat for her, just like she had seen in a magazine and she sent me the photo. She wanted a gray hat with a pink flower

So I did my best and here it is,

... and I even added some beads to pretend that it is pollen

Do you like it?

Penne with Tomatoes and Walnuts

I always cook cheap, at least I try to. There are some things that I always have around in my kitchen, and tomatoes are one of them. I use them quite often and mainly in salads, but when they start getting soft I transform them into great dishes, that no one will never know that they are just leftovers. The same thing happens with other vegetables, because I usually don't use frozen vegetables, so, once they won't last that long in the fridge, I have to use my imagination and create another thing. All of these recipes are mainly cooked with leftovers or vegetables that are almost losing their validity, and instead of throwing them out, save them, and cook marvelous dishes, and if you won't say, no one will ever know ;)

Today's recipe was cooked with soft tomatoes, and an almost gone broccoli. All of these quantities are for two people.

********************************************************************************

Penne

Broccoli (leftover, whatever you have in the fridge)
1 tomato (usually I buy the roman tomato, because it's the less expensive in the store)

2 tbsp chopped garlic

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Walnuts (I had 4)

Cilantro

Parmesan cheese grated

********************************************************************************

The penne takes around 9m to cook in the medium fire, so it can be "al dente". When the water is boiling add the salt (I use sea salt, it's healthier - 2tbsp), and 1 tbsp of olive oil, and then add the penne. The olive oil will make the penne softer. Cook for two minutes and add the broccoli (I removed the "small trees" that compose a broccoli head one by one, try to make it small). Remove the water after cooked and let it be inside the pot.

In a frying pan heat the three tbsp of olive oil and add the garlic. Stir for one minute and add the tomato (I chopped it in squares, not thinly but not big enough), add the salt (1/2 tbsp). Stir until the garlic is brown, don't let it overcook, the purpose of the tomato with the garlic is just to add both flavors.

Remove the tomato from the fire and add the chopped cilantro and the walnuts. Add this concoction to the penne and broccoli and mix everything. Serve and spread parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy:)

Church Floor

Picture taken in "Mosteiro dos Jeronimos", Lisboa, Portugal

"Fear will have everything
legs
ambulances
and the armored luxury
of a few cars

It will have eyes no one sees
cautious little hands
almost innocent schemes
ears not only in the walls
but also in the floor
in the ceiling
in the gurgle of drainpipes
and perhaps even (caution!)
ears in your ears"

Poem written by Alexandre O'Neil, portuguese poet

Time to Play

Now, that the cold is outside, and the wind blows gently on the streets, it is time to play in the playground with really warm clothes,

and once this time of the year tends to be so dark,

... let's give it a touch of yellow,

... with a small drop of brown...

... and play days will be much brighter

Caramelized apple and Green beans with meat

Caramelized apple:
1 big apple
3tbsp of brown sugar (it is healthier)
1 glass of Merlot wine
1tbsp of lemon juice

Prepare the apple: slice them (unpeeled), remove the seeds and add a few drops of lemon.
Melt the sugar in a frying pan for 2 minutes, add the lemon juice and the wine, stir for 1 minute and add the apple. It is done when the apple is golden brown and the sauce is thickened.

Green beans with meat:
Beef
Green Beans
1 tbsp Olive oil
2tbsp minced garlic
1tbsp black pepper
Salt

In a large skillet over medium heat, mix the beans with the olive oil, garlic and pepper. Stir for 5 minutes. Cut the beef in small pieces, like squares and add them to the beans. Cook and stir until the beef is evenly browned. Reduce heat and simmer for 7 or 10 minutes until beans are slightly tender.

Enjoy:)

What kind of chocolate are you? Take the Quiz

You are Milk Chocolate

A total dreamer, you spend most of your time with your head in the clouds. You often think of the future, and you are always working toward your ideal life. Also nostalgic, you rarely forget a meaningful moment... even those from long ago.

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

A touch of color

Once the cold days are arriving I have decided to give them a touch of pink...

















... and purple ...

Made by: PopCloud

Kale rice with broccoli stalks

I always keep the stalks and use them to cook soup, but in this case I have decided to transform them into a very nutritious rice.

Rice
3 Kale leaves
Broccoli Stalks (leftovers)
Salt
1 Onion
1 tbsp Olive oil

First, boil the kale for a few minutes, and keep the water (should be about two cups). Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, and start adding the kale and the broccoli stalks (thinly chopped - both kale and stalks). Add salt and stir. When the rice starts to color pour the water left from the kale and stir. It is ready when the rice is cooked. Goes well with fillets of fish.

Leaves on the bridge

Picture taken in Kentucky Falls, Oregon


"I dream I am the chosen Poet,
Who knows all there is to know on Earth,
The one whose inspiration’s pure and perfect,
And captures infinity in a verse!

I dream a verse of mine has all the brightness
To light the whole world! And it will please
Even those who long and die of sadness!
And even wise, unhappy souls it will appease. "

Florbela Espanca, portuguese poet

Tear me not

Tear me not when I’m in pain,
Open your mouth and silence your scream
Holding the words inside your chest

Close your eyes and drag those tears away
Dropping them when I am not around

Hide your hands and grab my fingers
Sliding them into someone else’s body

Stop the sound and listen to me
Pretending that you will hear my sorrows

Tear me not when I’m in pain,
Because I ...
I will never tear you again…

Written by: PopCloud

Rice with things

This recipe is merely based in leftovers, those that we find so many times in the fridge and don't know what to do with them. So, here are some tips, and feel free to use any other ingredients according to what you have left.

1 cup of rice
1 small onion thickly sliced
1 tbsp curry
olive oil
salt
parsley
leftovers:
I used carrots,peas,chicken(already cooked),shrimp,hot dogs

Heat the olive oil and the onion in a frying pan for five minutes, add the curry and stir occasionally. Add the shrimp, the carrots (I chopped them in small pieces)and the peas. Mix in the rice and let it fry until it gains color, add 1 cup of boiling water and some salt. Add the chicken and the hot dogs at the end. Keep on pouring water and cook it on medium heat. When it's done just add some minced parsley.
Enjoy :)

Are you charming? Take the Quiz

Are You Charming?

Flying

The branches were bending forward at the top of the tree. Sam couldn’t reach them, she tried to but she needed to stretch her arms wide open until she could see the sky. Clouds of white were floating by and the inner blue was almost transparent. She stood there beneath the tree, picking from a leaf and choosing the colors randomly just like a painter preparing his work. Clouds were no longer white, she gave them a touch of green, a dark green with brown spots, then she did the same with a red leaf and turned the sky into night. A butterfly stood by a flower watching her, Sam looked down and realized that she was no longer on the ground. She opened her arms, took a deep breath, touched a sparkling star and started flying leaving all her problems behind, and the butterfly never saw her again.

Written by: PopCloud