Announcing the Winner of the Jewelry Box Blog Giveaway!!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered my jewelry box blog giveaway.  I wish I could have given all of you a prize, but alas, there can only be one winner.  Before I announce who it is, though, I want to offer a 25% discount off of every item in my Etsy shop to all of you who participated in the giveaway.  Upon checkout enter the phrase "I entered the giveaway" in the message to seller and I'll refund you the money through PayPal.  The discount offer expires on May 31, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. 

 And now for the winner!  Drum roll, please!!!!! (simulated drum roll here.)  The winner is  Kohsetdec!!  Congratulations to you, Kohsetdec.  I'll be contacting you for your shipping address.

Thanks, again, folks.  I'll be doing another giveaway in a couple weeks, so please check back!

It's Poems I Love Wednesday!

Enjoy this favorite by Frank Stanford, which you can find in his books Crib Death and The Light the Dead See.  I wish my college poetry teacher could read it out loud for you--I was quite taken aback when I heard him read it.  If you're alone (or not) I highly recommend you use your best poet voice and read it aloud:

Memory Is Like a Shotgun Kicking You Near the Heart

I get up, walk around the weeds

By the side of the road with a flashlight

Looking for the run-over cat

I hear crying.

I think of the hair growing on the dead, 

Any motion without sound,

The stars, the seed ticks

Already past my knees,

The moon beating its dark bush.

I take the deer path

Down the side of the hill to the lake,

Wade the cold water.

My light draws the minnows, 

Shines through them, goes dead.

Following the shore

I choose the long way home

Past the government camping grounds, 

And see where the weeds have been

Beaten down,

Hear the generator on the Winnebago purring.

The children of the tourists

Are under the wheels

Like a covered wagon.

They scratch in their sleep

Until they bleed.

When I get home

I drink a glass of milk in the dark.

She gets up, comes into the room naked

With her split pillow,

Says what's wrong,

I say an eyelash.

The Very First (of several) Julie Birkemeier Photography BLOG GIVEAWAYS!

Ladies and Gents, how many times have you or your girlfriend/wife taken off a pair of earrings before going to bed only to end up losing one half of the set because, say, your cat jumped up on the dresser and started knocking trinkets onto the floor so you would wake up and feed him?  I feel your pain, and I want to do something about it.  Introducing, my very first (but certainly not last) blog giveaway!  In honor of your jewelry that your cats are violating, I am giving away a custom made jewelry box.  This box is hand-stained and features a panoramic photograph of a dogwood branch in a lovely sepia tone.  It measures approximately 8 x 3 inches.  

To enter: Simply leave a comment on this post--you can say anything you want.  Give yourself another chance to win by following my blog (let me know that you're doing so in the comment). AND give yourself yet another chance to win by mentioning one of the items in my Etsy shop that you like (or don't like--just pretend).  The winner will be chosen at random on Friday, May 15 at 12:00 CST and announced on this blog.  I will also contact the winner personally in order to gather shipping information (which is also free, by the way).  Good luck!

Thanks, Mom!

First off, a very happy belated Mother's Day to all of you ladies with children out there.  I don't know how you do it, and I hope you know how priceless you are.  For her special day, my mom wanted to go to the Missouri Botanical Garden with my dad and me.  The grounds were filled with other families who had the same idea, but it wasn't terribly overcrowded.  We were able to comfortably stroll the acreage and pause to admire the variety of plants and flowers without feeling like there were people waiting behind us.  Here are some of the pictures from the day.

Starting My Morning Off Right!

For the past couple days I've really been wanting a breakfast burrito, which I haven't had in years.  As a vegan, I can't just run out to Jack In the Box (do they even have breakfast burritos on the menu?) and order one, so I decided to make it myself.  Today was the big day, and my vegan breakfast burrito turned out so good that I had to share the recipe with you.  As you can see from the picture, I made a lot, but there are two of us in the household.  So if it's just you, you may want to cut the recipe in half.  Here are my ingredients (obviously, they're all optional, and you can feel free to add whatever else you want):

1 - 1 lb. package of firm tofu

2 russet potatoes, cut into small chunks

1 green pepper, cut in little pieces

1 yellow onion, diced

1/2 bulb of garlic, minced

1 can of black beans

1 can of diced, unsalted tomatoes

1/2 tsp. of turmeric

2 Tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

tortilla

vegan cheddar or nacho cheese 

While the potato chunks are boiling, combine the olive oil and green peppers in a large sauce pan and sautee.  After a couple minutes add the onion and garlic.  While the veggies cook down, crumble all of the tofu, and add it to the pan.  Next add the tumeric, salt, and pepper, and stir the mix together well.  Drain the cans of beans and tomatoes, then add to pan and stir.  The potatoes should be cooked by now--drain and combine with the rest of the mix.  Let everything cook on medium heat for a few more minutes to get it cooked down to your liking.  In the mean time, if you are choosing to use the vegan cheese, this is a good time to shred a bit onto a tortilla and heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds to get it soft.  The cheese will melt more once all the hot ingredients are put on top.  So, what are you waiting for?  Go and enjoy!