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This Lentil Salad has become my “go to” salad this barbeque season! Not only is it tasty, but easy to make, and improves the longer it sits! Great for picnics, since there is no mayonnaise and tastes good at room temperature. I just throw the salad together, so here is my impromptu recipe.

Try it this Labor Day weekend- you will not be disappointed!

Lentil Salad

Cook half of the bag of lentils according to directions on the package. Use the whole bag if feeding a crowd! Lentils expand a bit, so it makes a lot.

When the lentils are cooked and still warm, mix with your favorite Italian dressing and dried Italian seasoning to taste.

Then add: chopped carrots and celery, one chopped red or yellow bell pepper

The best part: Add anything marinated and from a jar! I use:

marinated artichokes
spicy banana peppers
sliced black olives or green olives
roasted red peppers
pickled green beans
marinated mushrooms
And the list goes on, only guided by your creativity.

Stir all together and let blend for at least a couple of hours- great overnight!

The pictures are decorated with a fresh nasturium- they add a slightly peppery taste.

Happy picnicking!

One of the sure signs in our area that summer is ending- not Back to School stuff everywhere- but a festival called Art Street. Art Street encompasses everything that a festival should- good food, music, drink, and of course the Arts. Fine Art, Photography, Textiles, Jewelry, Woodworking, and Ceramics are all here in some form or another. It’s a feast for the eyes, and a great place to buy unique pieces and be inspired to create your own.

Here’s a taste of the atmosphere: (Unfortunately, one cannot really capture the artwork itself in photos!)

Love this guy!

Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Okay- I am a sucker for games, especially ones that are food based. I came across this one at Chocolate and Zucchini and filled it out according to directions. Here are my results- I really am a “foodie” at heart.

The Omnivore’s Hundred is an eclectic and entirely subjective list of 100 items that Andrew Wheeler, co-author of the British food blog Very Good Taste, thinks every omnivore should try at least once in his life.

The Omnivore’s Hundred

Here’s a chance for a little interactivity for all the bloggers out there. Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

I am a “foodie”- 65 items off the list, and I would try all of the others!  Andrew Zimmern and Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel had better watch out.

Good Monday Morning,

While reading my new Domino magazine this weekend, I came across a new feature that they are offering. It’s called the Deco File and is “an online inspiration board that lets you organize all your decorating ideas and images in one paperless space”.

Wow- you need to only register and then you can save pictures, create albums, and share your albums with friends via your blog… Sounds like a plan to me! Another great way to reduce clutter, and as always, Domino is right on top of trends AGAIN!

Register for your new “My Deco File”  from Domino here. Let me know how its working for you- I think I will be starting mine this weekend…

Happy thoughts, and get to work on that new decorating file!

Images of a fleeting summer…

Shoreline and Lighthouse on a picturesque day along Lake Michigan.

Happy Weekend!

After spending yesterday afternoon, wading through my daughter’s bedroom (a Back-To-School ritual for us), I needed a bit of a design break! Realizing that my craft room is on hold in our vacation place, but desperately needed after seeing my daughter’s room, I did a little digging through some organizing sites. I have found some favorites, and now just need to place them in the room- at least in my mind and on paper!

Just an FYI- we are messy crafters and need lots of stuff and places to put the stuff! I tend to look right away at children’s play areas- after all, we are “playing”!

From Pottery Barn Kids:

Flexi Wall System

I love the orange of the storage units and the versatility that comes with this unit.

From The Container Store:

The Elfa System

Elfa will probably be the system that I use- it’s versatility, storage and drawer units will work for us. Although- I am drawn to the looks of the Pottery Barn one! So many choices, and so much time to deliberate!

Are there any great storage/craft systems out there that you want to share? I am open to any and all to keep my clutter under control!