Twisted Green Bean Dinner

Tossed, turned, twisted and still standing.  Am I referring to your recent sleep pattern?  I hope not.  I am actually calling attention to our "Twisted Green Bean Dinner".  No, it's not your usual green bean casserole dish.  There's ingredients in this dish that'll make your mouth jump for joy and beg for more.  What could they be?  Is it a secret recipe?  No! However, I will say, that it's all in the preparation of the dish, the way you choose to make it and the time you put into making it.  (Doesn't that go into just about everything in life)!!? You could use your regular ground turkey meat and you could choose to pan fry it or you could use some italian seasoned or spicy ground turkey meat and bake it until some pieces have a crispy crunch to them.  You could use chunks of sweet potatoe steamed and chopped or you could choose to julienne your sweet potatoe with some olive oil and bake until brown, soft and maybe even some pices a bit crunchy.  You could use frozen corn or you could use fresh corn, knived carefully off individual ears.   And lastly, for the green beans, you have no choice, each one must be individually chosen, as fresh as possible, garden fresh preferred!  Bake and toss all together with olive oil & a good sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Get yourselves a couple of handmade pottery bowls, spoon in heaping scoops and cut a decent sized piece off of that hot, fresh french bread you just recently picked up, (I'm talking within the hour), specifically to go along with this dish!  Pour yourself a glass of your favorite beverage, weather it be a dark beer, fine wine or tasty seltzer with juice and you'll be sure to be standing tall after this meal and hopefully not too twisted!

For some reason, the pic. of the dish would not post with this blog, so for those of you who are further interested, pic. is available today on our homepage at www.facebook.com/LuckyFishStudios.  Enjoy & have a fabulous week ahead!

Creatively Yours,

Jennifer Alfia :)

Don't forget to check out Dean's art & remaining New England show schedule at www.yessy.com/luckyfishstudios.

True Love

June 17, 2012

"If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands"......and she claps her hands together with full force.  Amazing.   (I cannot help but smile as I type this).  As she holds onto the yellow rope and swings, then points her index finger way up high in the air, signifying, "One more push, one more"....(wait, I'm not done)....and then cocks her head to the side softly brushing her shoulder, how could I say no? When she taps my arm and holds a chosen book in her hand for me to read.....(and then of course again holds her finger up and looks me in the eye to read it once more).....As she sits up straight and tall at her new activity table and colors gently, I can't help but think back to that brief period of time when she wore those little baby mittens just so she wouldn't scratch her face....Now, I can't pull a crayon out of those little fingers! She takes my hand in hers and brings me to the refridgerator to show me what she wants....it's just as the doctor said, "Don't worry- she will teach you!"....The sensitivity she shows towards our little puppy and all other creatures makes my heart melt.  She caught the ugliest looking frog the other day in her bright orange tea pot with no fear.  When she runs to me to give me a big hug, it is beyond rewarding.  Seeing her eyes light up when singing, "I love you a bushel and a peck....." makes my day.  The way shes "Ma-ma".......I peek in at her when she's sleeping and sometimes can't wait for her to get up again.....I never knew just how incredible this journey was going to be.....

I hope you enjoyed feeling the "moments" and that this found all of you well.  Best wishes for a wonderful and productive week ahead!

Creatively Yours,

Jennifer Alfia :)

Super Surprise Salad

Ok, so just about one month later......Regardless of the time lapse, I hope you all have enjoyed the month of May and are eager and ready to enter into June with full force.  As my husband and I enter into the summer months, our mouths begin watering for those zesty cold summer salads, does this sound like you too?  However this time around we've been craving difference to the norm.  We've been thinking why not add an eclectic tasty twist to the usual salads?  For instance, instead of a dull, boring and traditional potato salad, how about a pasta salad with a variety of sauteed vegetables tossed in and sweetened with chunks of cooked sweet potato?  Pictured above is one of our famous DiMarzo pasta dishes.  It naturally sweetens and surprises your taste buds.  The veggies we chose are some of our favorites- tomato, onion and summer squash, cooked until soft.  We then added some olive oil and authentic pesto and voila -  good to go!  Sure, you could enjoy this dish served warm but on a warm day what's better than a bowl full after about an hour chilled in the refridgerator?  We enjoyed each bite with a large chunk of whole grain chiabatta bread on the side, topped with a new buttery olive oil spread.  Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm......What are you waiting for?  Run out to those farmer's markets or heck, your backyard gardens and start chopping those veggies, boiling your water and baking your sweet potatoes.  Take pride in your new recipe and invite close friends and family to indulge as well.  Enjoy and Happ Memorail Day Weekend everyone....until next time.....

Creatively Yours,

Jennifer Alfia

PS.  Beware:  This recipe disappears quickly - Our 14 month old daughter absolutely loved this dish...next time we're making a triple batch!  :)

Dogs

Hello once again!  So, you thought maybe I had forgotten about my little blog??.....Nope, it's just somehow it has currently been placed on the back burner right, especially with everything else that is going on in our lives.  Which is why today I am sharing a blog with you specifically about our dog.  Poochie is the queen chess piece that keeps all of us going.

That moment I saw her body shaking with excitement and her four paws jumping up all over the thin mountain air was priceless.  She was anticipating my legs approaching her so that she could jump all over them, as well as one year old daughter's.  It was the most precious scene that is still embedded so clearly in my head.  Almost an awakening type of moment, where I actually bent down on the grass next to her, sharing how much I love her & missed her over and over again while she licked my face and neck all over.  My daughter, Dakota wanted that same kind of affection from Poochie at that moment as well, so she too bent right down beside me and received her wet kisses, except she also got knocked over!  Poochie was beyond excited to see us again.  The feeling was incredible and will never be dismissed.  It also made me stop and recognize just how extremely important this dog is and has been in our lives.  She celebrated her third birthday while we were out of town with her birthday party hat on and everything.  My mother and father made sure that party took place.  The sounds that came out of her mouth when seeing her after our travels, were filled with such joy and words I could almost make out.  Tears swelled in my eyes and Poochie's.  Dakota's short screams of excitement and happiness to see Poochie, made it apparent just how essential Poochie is too her also.  Poochie's tail was the highest it's ever been and her mouth displayed the widest smile I had seen from her in a long time.  Dakota started chasing Poochie's tail and Poochie adored that, as well as being patted and rubbed down by the both of us.  I couldn't believe the strong feelings I had longed for and felt for our dog that clear yet chilly New England evening in the backyard grass of my parents house.  Dad was at the grill, cooking up some juicy hamburgers and skewers of mushrooms and onions.  Poochie seemed to have developed quite a connection with him this time around.  (Especially anticipating whether or not he was going to give her any of the tasty food that he was cooking up).  Poochie is such an integral part of my life and my family life.  She has been through so many stepping stones and important milestones stones in our lives.  She senses all of our emotions.  Some question whether animals can speak to us.   I say of course.....In oh so many ways.  And no doubt, in more ways than you could ever imagine....You just have to listen and love them.  We love you Poochie.  This blog is dedicated to you!

Thanks for reading and joining me this month.  Until then, I hope I've inspired you in some way.  See you next month!

Always & Creatively Yours,

Jennifer Alfia :)

Peasant Food?

     The hour consisted of juicy ground pork, pan fried portabella, thinned oatmeal, carmelized onion, chunky fried garlic cloves and olive oil, baked to perfection, topped with large pieces of stark white goat cheese and lightly squeezed spicy mustard served on fresh rosemary garlic foccacia bread, and savored in his mouth for twenty chews.  Although twenty chews is said to be the proper amount of chewing per bite, before swallowing, he was eager to shovel the proceeding bites in way before hitting the big "2  - 0" threshold.  The mountain of baked yet crunchy sweet potato fries needed no further seasoning nor squirts of ketchup, for the entire dish would ultimately be ruined.  The old sign board to the left that read "Plumbing" vertically was the perfect fit for such a well rounded hour in time for him.  "They call this peasant food?", he said.  "Bring it on", he mumbled, as he continued watching the raging river flowing downstream and munching on his tasty fries.

See you again soon.  Thanks for reading.  Have a wonderful evening, hopefully enjoying a tasty treat of your own!

Creatively Yours,

Jennifer Alfia

The Art of Life

Who would have thought there was a system to every little thing in life?  It isn't until currently having a child of my own that I am seeing the art of life even more now.  There is a method to each madness.  Stangely enough, my child's growing knowledge is escalating daily at a rate that is almost scary to me.  She holds so much creativity and imagination beyond words that I am definitely beginning to believe that her skill surely exceeds mine! (Uh-oh)....The way she seems to have a craft for reading her books, playing with her toys and even trying on her shoes is incredible.  Her ingenuity is amazing to watch.  The way she sticks her tongue out in the mirror for only herself to see for minutes on end and then chuckles happily-ever-after, makes my stomach muscles ache with laughter.  Some of the best of times are when she doesn't even know she is being watched --- the way she balances herself with such a gentle and cooridinated sophistication, is undescribable, especially when you think she is going to fall, but she catches herself in midair!  One can truly learn ample from a child.  One simply must take the time to really see, listen and want to learn.  There is a proven art to every little thing and Dakota inevitably brings that art to life!

PS.  No, I never did think I would be writing a blog about my daughter, but I guess you never know what might move you! I am definitely open to the surprise and the magic! 

Thank you for continuing to follow my blog.  I hope you've enjoyed the read & maybe even gotten a tiny bit inspired in some way.  May you have a fabulous day ahead!  Don't forget to check out www.yessy.com/luckyfishstudios for some wonderful original art created by my husband, Dean. :)

All My Best & Creatively Yours,

Jennifer Alfia

A New Year

Yikes.  One year of blog writings complete - hard to believe twelve months have passed so quickly.  Being a mother now is truly a gift, a blessing and not to mention a full time job, on top of everything else I do!  I truly hope to continue writing my blog whenever time & opportunity allow.  I also long to touch and warm some of your hearts and maybe even tickle your funny bones, if only at least for a brief moment in time!  Thanks for bearing with me.....May your loads be lightened and may only blue, sunny skies lie ahead for you!

Sincerely & Creatively Yours,

Jennifer Alfia (& almost 11 month old daughter, Dakota).