Bit of Everything Salad

I am not usually a throw stuff together and wing it kind of cook. I may dabble a little bit but I tend to need a recipe. I am amazed when people just grab things from their cupboards and create something delicious. Well, today I threw caution to the wind and threw together a salad. It came about because I started to worry about the state of some of my veggies. I had a couple of sweet potatoes that were looking a little forlorn and two peppers that were starting to look like they were up to something. I also had a bag of frozen corn fall on my foot when I opened the freezer door. I decided it was a sign to throw them all toegther and see what happened. The result was a scrumptious bowl of deliciousness and some bragging rights on my part:

Bit of Everything Salad:
First, I diced and roasted my sweet potatoes. I tossed them in a bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and roasted until they were soft.

Then I drained a can of black beans, defrosted some of my attacking frozen corn, diced up my red and green suspicious peppers, diced a bit of red onion and threw them in as well.

I made a dressing of olive oil, lemon, minced garlic and a bit of chili powder and voila! I am a wing it kind of salad gal, after all.

Bicycle Trench

Just when I thought I couldn't love Smoking Lily any more than I already do, they create another act of love that sends me over the moon. How can I resist you Smoking Lily, how? They already had me with their Cape of Good Hope that I had to buy the last time I was in B.C. I just had to. Surely you must understand. I have been lusting after their t-shirt with the sweet ants all over it, just in time for picnic season. This latest creation, however - it is just too much. A gorgeous trench coat covered with silk screeaned bikes? Did they sneak into my brain and draw out the ultimate fantasy coat for me? Yes. Yes they did.

Egg-squisite Eggs

(Embroidered eggs?! Are you kidding me? Design Sponge)

(I may have more of a chance with a sharpie over embroidery floss, but they still wouldn't be as fantastic as these eggs by Alisa Burke)

Wow. I thought I'd feel really accomplished if I managed to colour some Easter eggs using my rapidly rotting cabbage but then I stumbled across a line up of truly egg-straodinary eggs here. How on earth do people manage to create something so beautiful on a common delicate egg? I am amazed.

Naturally Dyed Eggs

(photo courtesy of The Kitchn)

I am dying to try this!

I saw this post about dying eggs naturally on The Kitchn and I was instantly inspired. They look so beautiful. I happen to have an excessive amount of tumeric and this would be a marvelous way to use my stash. For a while I kept thinking I was in need of tumeric and would buy more every time I was at the spice store in Kensington Market. Eventually I discovered baggies of tumeric littered around various cupboards. I had no idea I was a tumeric hoarder (I really need to reorganize my kitchen shelves). I also have a head of purple cabbage that has been giving me the stink-eye because the leaves are starting to wither and I have yet to do anything with it. What a great, guilt-free way to use up excessive stuff in the kitchen and make something beautiful at the same time.

I Need to Learn How to Crochet

I am already a part of a knitting group where instead of actually knitting we eat, chat and watch movies. I love my fake knitting nights but maybe I need to start a real group for some serious crocheting. I saw this gorgeous garland on Etsy and I almost passed out. So sweet and dreamy and perfect! I would love to have these lovely garlands strung from every room in my house. I had better suggest doing some crocheting to the fake knitting group - stat!

Or we can just eat a lot of snacks and order some garlands on Etsy...