today’s desk view: inflatable piggy bank

If only it were full of money!!!

(image by: vivien chin)

kale chips

Delicious!!  A really easy snack recipe that I saw on thekitchn.com site.  They are really addictive and cheap.

Ingredients:

_(1) bunch of kale
_olive oil
_sea salt 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Wash the kale very well and dry as completely as possible.  Choose more of the leafy, upper parts of the kale rather than the lower thick stalk part of the kale.  Tear the kale into smaller pieces and place in a oven-safe pan.  Try not to overlap too much.  Drizzle olive oil over the kale and sprinkle salt on top for flavor.  I like using sea salt preferably, but any salt you have around will do.  Place the pan in the oven for about 10 minutes or so depending on your desired crispiness.  Best eaten while they are still warm and out of the oven

I bake mine a little less than 10 minutes because I like the edges to be crispy and the middle to be still a little soft (shown above).  The below pic shows them more fully crispy.  I’ll let you decide what you like best.

 

(top image by: vivien chin)
(bottom image from thekitchn.com)

basil_wk 1

Planted some FREE basil seeds that were being given out at the Union Square Farmer’s Market.  Here they are at the end of week 1 (above).  Lots of sprouts.  Only the strongest sprouts will survive…which ones will they be?

 

Next to the new sprouts is the basil plant I started from a seedling I got from the Farmer’s Market too.  Give them something to aspire too  🙂

 

(images by: vivien chin)

ipod cpr

sad ipod icon has attacked!!  really is a sad day.  Performed ipod CPR by proceeding to bang it on the sofa over and over again thinking it might do something since all reasonable methods of restarting failed.  Surprisingly enough it kinda worked.  It’s just barely holding on.  Lesson is if all else fails, start banging you ipod on some surface.  Just might fix it.

roger day!!

It was a good day for Roger of doing tricks for popcorn and playing catch. Who can resist that face?? Always a fun day when he comes.

(images by: vivien chin)

cupcakes make people happy

Saw this awesome calendar at Mousey Brown salon when I went to get my haircut.  Made me smile.  Love it!  Where can I get one??  CUPCAKES MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY!! sooo true 🙂

meet Fig!

Happy 1 week bday to my goldfish, Fig!  Can’t have a dog a my apt and don’t really have time for one, but Fig’s fun to watch too.

Fig and his reflection…

(images by: vivien chin)

green thumb

Wanted to try growing some plants on the perch of the apartment.  So started by getting some garlic chives (top) and rosemary (bottom) seedlings and planting them.  Got some free basil seed packets that were being handed out at the Farmer’s Market in Union Square this week.  Planted them today.  Can’t wait for them to grow.

 

(images by: vivien chin)

giant moth, small bat

“passengers…don’t be alarmed…there is either a giant moth or a very small bat flying around the plane’s cabin.”

_quote from the pilot on my flight this weekend.  Awesome…lol

 

(image of ice bat ugly doll vinyl by david horvath)

artichokes

Been on this artichoke kick lately and have been picking them up at the market whenever they are available.  My favorite way to have them is just simply steamed/boiled with mayonnaise on the side as a dipping sauce.  So delicious! 

A little tip that really works.  After you cut off the sharp tips/top of the artichoke leaves, rub some lemon juice on the cut ends and squeeze some on the whole artichoke to keep it from discoloring while cooking.  Then you can go ahead and drop it in boiling water or in your steamer.  Made the artichoke very tasty as well. yum!