Colour your world

Because we all need a little guidance and a reminder to keep the colour in our world...

Images from Kate Spade.

Let the words of Kate Spade and the artwork of Darling Clementine inspire you to live a well-lived life with The Guide to Living Colorfully.

Images from Kate Spade.

The six-book series offers colourful tips and tricks in the following areas: think, travel, dress, celebrate, decorate, charm.

Images from Kate Spade.

I've been a longtime admirer of Norway-bases Darling Clementine. Dynamic duo, Ingrid Reitaug and Tonje Holand, create simple yet elegant illustrations that are bold yet so adorable. Check out their website for more of their illustrative designs.

Image from Darling Clementine.

Visit Kate Spade's website for your own copy of The Guide to Living Colorfully.

Whimsical wonders

I'm loving this adorable Botanical Calender from one of my favourite stationery brands/design studios, Rifle Paper Co. Owner and designer, Anna Bond mixes hand-painting illustrations and lettering to create wonderfully whimsical pieces of art that celebrate pen-on-paper greetings.

Visit the company's website to purchase your very own Botanical Calendar and to see more of their beautiful paper goodies.

Images from Riple Paper Co.'s website .

O, what beautiful chalkboard-lettering

Wow! Dana Tanamachi is truly amazing. I'm defintely going to be picking up this February issue of O Magazine just to stare in awe at her incredible chalkboard art on the cover. 

Check out Dana Tanamachi's website for more on this talented chalk-letterer, along with some great time-lapse videos of the artist in motion.

Photograph from Dana Tanamachi's website .

Stuffed pasta shells

Ricotta and spinach stuffed pasta shells? Yum!! Not only was this recipe easy to make, but it was easy to make in advance. Simply prep the filling while the pasta cooks, fill the shells, and arrange with pasta sauce in a casserole dish. Actually, this recipe yielded so many stuffed shells that I ended up using two casserole dishes...even despite my constant taste testing. Then pop the dish in the fridge until ready to bake. Great for entertaining!

Google Images lead me to this recipe from Canadian Family. I think my shells may have been a little bit smaller, and I cooked about 3/4 of the box in case some of the pasta broke/landed in my mouth. I also spent a lot of time looking at this recipe from Indigo's Sugar Spectrum because of all the beautiful photographs that show what the cooking process should look like.

Stuffed Pasta Shells, adapted from Indigo's Sugar Spectrum 
Serves 4 to 6

250 g jumbo pasta shells (about 2 dozen shells — this was half a box for me)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 container (475 g) ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 bag spinach, washed and gently chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 jar (270 mL) pesto
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest (zest from one lemon)
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 jar (700 mL) tomato and basil pasta sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C) and put on a pot of boiling water. Generously salt water and add pasta shells, cooking until al dente, or a few minutes less than package instructions. Drain pasta and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil.

Fry onion on medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil until translucent. Add spinach and cook until just wilted. (Or use one package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained.)

In a large bowl, mix spinach, ricotta, 3/4 cup Parmesan, egg, pesto, lemon zest, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Spread 2 cups tomato sauce on bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Generously fill each shell with ricotta mixture (about 1 1/2 tbsp depending on shells) and arrange on top of tomato sauce. Place dollops of remaining sauce on top of pasta shells and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. YUM!

Image copyright © 2012 Jasmine Habart.

Rub my belly

Why Gus, what fluffy paws you have! Okay, I'll rub your belly.

Image copyright © 2012 Jasmine Habart.

Draw like Simon

Watch how Simon Tofield's illustrates the lovable Simon's Cat for his frame-by-frame animated filme. He makes it look so easy!



For more Simon's Cat, visit his website or YouTube channel.

Video from Simon's Cat website.

A room with a view

A view of the Vancouver skyline. It's one of the best parts about the new pad I get to share with Mitch and Meow. ♥

Image copyright © 2012 Jasmine Habart.

Braise yourself

Braise yourself for this delicious brunch idea! Get your protein, veggies, and whole grain carbs all in one neat little tower of goodness! This recipe, brought to you by Mitch, is simple and nutritious.

Braised eggs in bell pepper nests 

1 bell pepper

2 fresh eggs

olive oil or cooking spray

salt and pepper

hot sauce (we used Nando's Peri Peri sauce!)

veggies (I added onions and kale; Mitch added...none)

English muffins 

To make your own braised eggs in bell pepper nests, simple slice up your favourite coloured pepper into strips straight across the middle. Heat up a large non-stick pan on medium heat and coat with olive oil or cooking spray. Place pepper strips in pan and allow cut edge to brown before flipping. Crack an egg into each pepper and add a dash of hot sauce, along with salt and pepper. After a minute, add one or two tablespoons of water to the pan and cover. The steam will help cook the eggs from both sides, preventing them from becoming too tough! Steam until desired firmness. Serve on top of a toasted English muffin with extra hot sauce on the side.

Optional: Add thin strips of onions, mushrooms, and other veggies to the pan and cook alongside bell peppers; toss in fresh kale to steam with eggs. Layer all of the above for some well-stacked braised-eggs-in-bell-pepper-nests muffins. 

All images copyright © 2012 Jasmine Habart.

What a Gus

Ohmyguscat!

Image copyright © 2012 Jasmine Habart.

Lighten up!

I don't know about you, but after the Holidays—aka Cookie Fest 2011—I've been leaning toward some lighter and fresher meals options. Quinoa salad is one of my go-to dinners in the summer; and by adding chickpeas, it's hearty enough to stand up to these cooler winter months.

Check out my recipe for quinoa salad here. Replace the sweet potatoes for a can of drained and well-rinsed chickpeas, or mix in both for even more savory goodness.

Images copyright © 2012 Jasmine Habart.

Whistle while you work

One of the best parts about moving into a nice new condo is that it validates buying nice new things. And Le Creuset? Nice. Adding to my collection of...two...Le Creuset cookware items is this Dijon Teakettle. Beautiful. ♥

Teatime is even more of a pleasure with my Anthropologie pot holder and the cute cat mugs Mitch and I got as engagement gifts.



All images copyright © 2012 Jasmine Habart.

Happy New Year!

New Year; new apartment; new Meow. Actually, it's the same ol' Meow Face, but doesn't he look fluffier? And fancy, too! A month and a half after moving in—and what seemed like ages renovating, painting, and signing our lives away while furniture shopping (why are lamps so expensive?)—the new pad is looking great. Mitch and I and the Meow would agree it definitely feels like home. So here's to a renovation-free 2012, full of at-home entertaining with good food, lots of wine, and the best of friends. Happy New Year, everyone!

Image copyright © 2012 Jasmine Habart.