New black and grey t-shirts and tanks

Neutral colors are very popular so black and grey t-shirts and tanks usually find their owners very quickly. These are my last creations in these colors. I found amazing old wall to make photos))

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Italian seafood salad recipe

One of my favourite antipasto/ appetizer is Italian Seafood Salad. Sometimes I think the perfect supper would be just 3 or 4 amazing appetizers with a side of wonderful  whole whead bread.

Ingridients

• 1¼ cups (250 grams) cleaned calamari or squid or both 
• 1¼ cups (250 grams) cleaned octopus 
• 1½ cups (100 grams) mussels (without the shell)
• 1¾ cups (200 grams) small shrimp cleaned 
• 1 stalk celery chopped finely -optional
• ¼ cup (8 grams)  parsley chopped - optional
• ¼ cup (56 grams) extra vingin olive oil
• juice from ½ lemon
• salt and pepper

In a large pot of boiling water, boil for approximately 55-60 minutes the calamari, squid. In other pot put octopus, it requires a much longer cooking time, so if you choose to include it, you will need to add an additional hour or so to your preparation time. Remove them and boil mussels and shrimps for about 10 minutes. If you have mussels with shell - bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil in the same saucepan and toss in the mussels. Return to a boil, cover, and steam for 3 to 5 minutes, until they're all opened. (Discard any that remain unopened after 5 minutes.) Remove the mussels from the shells and discard the shells.

Drain all ingridients in the medium-sized bowl a second time just to remove excess liquid and let cool. 

After 30 minutes cut calamari, octopus and squid, put shrimps and mussels. 

Add chopped celery and parsley , olive oil and lemon juice. Gently mix to combine well.

Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours to let the flavours to mix well.

Before serving add extra virgin olive oil, pepper and salt if necessary,

Classical recipe we cook at home is without mussels. And from time to time we cook it without celery and parsley too just because we don't have them at home)

It's very important to have fery fresh ingridients and we never use frozen ingridients for this salad, freezing change the taste, be sure.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Quinoa with vegetables and shrimps recipe - healthy and gluten free.

Today I will write you about the recipe, that will be enjoyed by all who like healthy eating. This is quinoa with vegetables and shrimps recipe.

Quinoa - is pseudocereal culture, originated in the Andean region of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia. It has been an important staple in the Andean cultures but relatively obscure in the rest of the world. The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to it as chisaya mama or "mother of all grains"

Why eat quinoa?

• Quinoa is Incredibly Nutritious - Very High in Protein, With All The Essential Amino Acids That we Need
• Contains Potent Bioactive Substances Called Quercetin and Kaempferol
• It is Very High in Fiber… Much Higher Than Most Grains
• Quinoa is Gluten Free and Perfect For People With Gluten Intolerance
• Low Glycemic Index

I think if you are interested, you'll find yourself something to read about quinoa in the Internet.

Ingridients:

• quinoa, about a glass
• onion
• carrot
• tomatoes
• celery
• garlic
• frozen peeled shrimp
• paprika
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

You can take different vegetables, as well as the proportion. For example, today I forgot to buy a carrot, and instead of onion I put the leeks. I think it depends on your personal taste and what you have available at home. By the way, you can not put shrimp too.

In the same way you can cook delicious couscous.

Chop all the vegetables into small pieces. You can fry garlic a little and then take it off, or chop it and put together with all vegetables.

I fried and then removed the garlic. Then you have to add other vegetables, and after 5 minutes add the shrimps. Leave it to stew for another 5-7 minutes on low heat, covered.

When the tomatoes are soft and gave the juice, you can add quinoa. I have not soaked quinoa, because I have white quinoa, other types it is better to soak.

Then, for every glass of quinoa add a  2-2.5 glasses of water. Close the lid, salt and pepper a little and leave the stew to simmer. If necessary, add water. Usually quinoa is ready in about 20-25 minutes. If you turn off the heat and leave it for another 10-15 minutes with the lid closed, it it will be more tasty. 

That's what we've got - tasty and healthy dish that dietary and gluten free.

Take the occasion! Black friday Cyber monday sale!

Take the occasion! Black friday Cyber monday sale!

 You can receive 30% off in my graphic shop KarisaGraphic.etsy.com
Here you'll find many digital collage sheets to all your craft and scrapbookign needs.

  
30% off in Crochet vintage treasuries shop Katrinshinesupplies.etsy.com
Here you can find cute crochet supplies for your crafting and home - vintage crochet doilies and centerpieces! Some of them are hand dyed by me.

  
20% off in jewelry and accessories shop Katrinshine.etsy.com!
Fabric and leather jewelry for girls and womens who are  creative, independent, active, but at the same time dreamy and romantic. Other direction is clothing, t-shirts and tanks with upcycled vintage crochet back.

Use coupon code 

QETUOSFHK1115 

at the check out.

Coupon code will be active from November 27, 2013 to November 30, 2015 only.

Trip to Gran Sasso of Italy in Abruzzo

In september I had a free week on work. I didn't have summer holiday so I immediately organized a trip. I like to tracking and hiking in mountains and of course Gran Sasso natural park which is the nearest to Brindisi, 5 hours by car, always attracted me. Of course, Alpes are amazing and they are the most beautiful mountains in Italy but its too far and you have to take a flight and then to rent a car to reach them.

Gran Sasso of Italy is the highest mountain in the Apennines. It situated in Abruzzo region in central Italy.  The three main summits of the Gran Sasso are Corno Grande , which at 2,912 metres is the highest peak in the Apennines, nearby Corno Piccolo and Pizzo Intermesoli, which is separated from the other two peaks by Val Maone, a deep valley.

 We decided to ascend the Gran Sasso the first day after we arrived because it was sunny day without clouds. Local people said that the weather up near summits is very instable so we used this occasion of good weather. We took the chair-lift from Prati di Tivo, with 10 minutes we arrived at altitude of 2,000 meters at place named Madonnina. 

Breathtaking landscapes around..

From Madonnina the path is going up to the refuge (I shown it with the red arrow). It's not so far, but the path is difficult and with inclination

This is the path, not the most difficult piece, so you can imagine

This is the most difficult piece

Breathtaking view

Almost arrived...

Situated below the peak of the Corno Grande is the Calderone glacier, until 2009 the southernmost known glacier in Europe; deglaciation has significantly reduced the glacier's size. Glaciologists now question whether the glacier will survive past 2020.

We decided to not go up to the pass but go all way down to the Prati di Tivo on foot without taking the chair-lift

Returning in our hotel on the way from Prati di Tivo it was a small lake. Without any wind mountains and forest reflexed in water in amazing way!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Interview with Tomka Sorokina from YaTomkaStore

Today I present you talented artist and my friend who work with polymer clay and other matherials. Her creations alwasy remind me about fairy tails, they are so airily and magic! 

-- Tell me a little about yourself

Hi,  My name is Tomka Sorokina and I live in the most beautiful place on the world near the sea with amazing nature. I love my husband and my two children, I like ice cream and rain, I like to leap over the plashes like a child... 
I like child’s books and illustrations and once I will learn to draw, I promise! But now I happy to create jewelry, teach my husband and being taught by my children. Thanks for them I discover something new in this world every day.

-- What types of items do you sell? What's your favorite material and techniques to work with?

I’m a very compulsive personality. From my childhood I always got lessons of something but after short time lose interest. But since I saw in internet polymer clay jewelry, and it was more than 7 years ago, I hold true to it. After my son was born my creations became something more for me then a simple hobby. It became a job that I like and I dedicate all my time to my shop, of course, time free from my family)

I like to work with polymer clay, mix it with glass, glaze and I always try to invent something new and creative. 
Now my favorits are bracelets with miniature flowers and handmade glass, pocket mirrors with drawing made from polymer clay and transparent butterfly wings.

I enjoy when my people like my creations. I think from this point the story of my store had a beginning. First I gifted my creations, then somebody asked me to make to order and then my shop YaTomkaStore was born. This is small shop with my creations – handmade jewelry and accessories.

-- Where do you get your inspiration?:

Every weekand me and my family we are making little trips. My junior girl is almost a year old that’s why we can’t go far but our trips are always intensive and interesting. I like a see and mountains. The nature around our town is so various that every time I find something new and it inspire me. Often I inspired by my family, my husband is my main critic and encourager. It is thanks him and his backing that I began to make polymer clay jewelry. 

The advantage of being self-employed is that I’m a law unto myself, I control my schedule. It allow me  to give as much attention to my family as they need and also much more)) I can wake up at 5 AM with new idea and began to turn it into reality… I can be awake till very late  until I won’t finish a piece and next day stay with children all day: slug in a bed, see cartoons, read books… Creativity became an essential part of my life and also if I don’t keep my tools in hands, in my head deas are tumbling about 


--  Are there other places on the net we can find you?
I have a small Etsy shop: www.YaTomkaStore.etsy.com

My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YaTomkaStore

Shrimps and scampi tartare italian recipe

Finally I returned after summer... I worked a lot and really didn't have a time for my blog. I'm really sorry )) But now with new breath I'm ready to write a lot of interesting articles!!

Today I present you one particular recipe - raw shrimps and scampi tartare with pink pepper and passion fruit. It's easy to make and very tasty, great for starter!  I ate this plate in one very good local restaurant and after that I tryed it at home. Now I prepare this tartare for every dinner with friends and it always has a success)

You will need:
- raw fresh scampi 
- raw fresh sea shrimps (better red ones)
- passion fruit (half of big one for every portion)
- pink pepper
- scissors

If you are going to eat raw seafood - You have to be sure that you buy from a reliable source. If you do not catch your own seafood I highly recommend that you get to know your local fishermen and fish mongers.  

You have to buy shrimps and scampi, or only shrimps, or only scampi - it depends what you find. I bought 7-10 medium shrimps and 3 medium scampi per person. To clean I use scissors. Cut the head of the scampo then the tail, and after that cut along the middle part first belly then back. In this way carapace will be devided in two parts and you can easily take the meat. In the same way but making only one cut I peel shrimps. 

When you peeled all shrimps and scampi, cut them in small parts and mix. Cut the pink pepper in half and get out the seeds. Mix the passion fruit seeds with crostacean meet and leave in refrigerator for half an hour. Put all in one plate so everybody can take or make portions on small plates, then overstrew with pink pepper.
The combination of pink pepper and passion fruit is really great and delicate. 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

New colors of hand dyed vintage doilies

 I like to exsperiment and mix colors, try to buy new brands of colors. There are new colors I hand dyed recently.  It happen again - I bought a whole box of doilies!!!  So I can make so many colors as I wish) It makes me happy)
All these vintage hand dyed doilies you can find in my shop > Crochet vintage supplies

Follow my blog with Bloglovin