Cherry Blossoms

Photo by Glenn Franco Simmons

To celebrate the first day of the National Cherry Blossom Festival I have put together a little collection of cherry blossom items that you might like for your kitchen.

Wishing you lots of opportunities to see beautiful cherry blossoms 
set against a blue sky.

Decorative Glass Plate, $22

Ceramic Cherry Blossom  Bowl, $5.75

Owl of Spring Light Switch Art Cover, $10 

If you're planning a trip Oregon...

Salishan Lodge, Oregon

If you are planning to visit Oregon you might want to include a trip to our beautiful Oregon Coast. Salishan Spa & Golf Resort in Gleneden Beach is featured on today's Portland Groupon. For $129, you get a one-night stay in a traditional room, a $25 dining credit, and a glass float keepsake.

Glass Floats

Beauty

Occasionally I go to a yoga class. In the yoga class I attended today, the instructor started the sesssion by reading a poem about beauty written by Audrey Hepburn. After a little research, it turns out that it was written by Sam Levinson and read by Audrey Hepburn on a New Years Eve many years ago. In any case...it was a wonderful way to start the class.

****************
For attractive lips,
Speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes,
Seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure,
Share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair,
Let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise,
Walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored,
renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed;
Never throw out anybody.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand,
you'll find one at the end of your arm.

As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands;
one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

****************
Throughout the day I kept thinking of these words and trying to live by them.

Cozy kitchen corner

Photo: Posy

I came across this “cozy kitchen corner” on Por Amor Al Arte blog. I think it one of the most delightful kitchens I have ever seen! It makes me want to linger at the sink and rewash all of those wonderful ceramic pieces in warm sudsy water while gazing out of the window.

I just had to share this photo with you as well as link you to this very cool blog.
Happy Monday!
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Constanza of poramoralarte blog just informed me that the original source for this photo is from the adorable English blog Posy.  Thank you for letting me know! Happy Tuesday.

If you're lucky enough to be in Portland on Saturday March 5th...

Barred Owl. Photo by Bill Swindaman

If you're lucky enough to be in Portland, Oregon on Saturday March 5th, you may want to stop by the OWL FEST at Tryon Creek State Park. The owl extravaganza is free and it's from 4-7pm. There will be guided hikes, 2 live owls on site from the Audobon Society, an opportunity to make your own owl house and lots more fun. If wild owls spotted in the park, there will be viewing scopes set up so that you can have a look at them up close.

Learn more about the 2011 OWL FEST here.

Be sure to check out the My Owl Barn blog for all things owl and see the latest post on owl-themed kitchen textiles!

Did you see my post on the owl lover calendar?

Old Fashioned Gluten Free Mandarin Orange Cake

 I'm so happy you can now find gluten free cake mix at a regular grocery store!

The Oregon Medical Association Alliance put together a cookbook filled with recipes from Oregon's Medical families. All proceeds are benefiting our local Ronald McDonald Houses. (Click here to see how I feel about the Ronald McDonald House.) I love cookbooks where people submit recipes because I feel that people share only their very best recipes. So for these 2 reasons I was happy to purchase this cookbook.

From Our House to Yours Cookbook. All proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charaties

The first recipe that I made was the Mandrin Orange Cake...it was delicious! And I was able to easily adapt it to be gluten free by using a box of Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mix. I just love old fashioned looking cakes especially when I put them on my mom's antique pressed-glass cake stand.

Iced cake on the lovely cake stand that my mom recently gave me!

I didn't use the icing recipe and frosted it instead with fresh whipped cream and about 10oz of drained, crushed pineapples mixed in. It was especially good the next day after it had been thoroughly refrigerated.

Click read more for the recipe.