You can do it!

My mom. She's always thinking and doesn't like to sit still. She had the idea of turning my tin can into a casual vase today. I love it! This makes me want to seek out good antique tin. Maybe an olive oil tin collection?

Pasta salad, your fridge clean-out meal!

When I have random bits of veggies, cheese and deli meat... It's time to make pasta salad! I always have pasta in my pantry. I happened to have the tiniest bit of Orzo pasta left. It's the rice shaped pasta that fattens up when prepared. A little bit goes a long way! I also had leftover dressing I made for an apple and Gorgonzola salad the night before. Since it's a dump and stir kind of thing, here's my ingredient list for my latest pasta salad:

Orzo pasta

Chop the following to bite size:

Genoa salami

Mozzarella pearls- a fun deli product

red pepper

Grape tomatoes

Fresh basil 

Dressing:

 1/4 cup of white or red wine vinegar

Teaspoon dry mustard

Squeeze of lemon

Teaspoon of dried oregano

Salt/ pepper

Whisk in 3/4 cup of EVOO

Enjoy:)

A quiet evening with Elvgren gals

My hubby is good at puzzles. Like, sit with saint-like patience kind of good. And it's not just because there are pin-up ladies staring back at him. But it helps! 

Gil Elvgren's gals have always been my favorite. I haven't seen every sketch Elvgren ever made, but they are often the girl-next-door type. The girl- next- door with her skirt stuck in the picket fence type.

I do know Elvgren created advertising for Coca Cola and other big name companies, but in my lifetime... I've only seen his work in books I've sought out, calendars and tattoos. And now puzzles! This one is an appreciated and unexpected surprise from my dear Dad. He didn't mind I snagged his Cars album because it had a Vargas pin-up girl on the cover! Love Alberto Vargas' work,too. But for now, I'll let hubby do the hard work on the puzzle and I'll jump in to do the easy pieces. I might not be able to break it up when we're finished...