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Bite-Sized Vasilopita (Vasilopita Mini-Cupcakes)

It is almost New Year’s Eve!! Like many, I am looking forward to 2021 and what it may bring (and more importantly, the end of 2020). One Greek tradition on New Year’s Day is a Vasilopita.

Vasilopita is associated with the legend of Saint Basil and the Vasilopita is a New Year’s Day bread or cake where a coin is hidden inside. It is believed that whoever receives the piece with the coin inside will be blessed with good fortune for that year. Considering how 2020 has went, I am sure we are all hoping to receive the piece with that coin.

I have seen a few takes on the traditional Vasilopita and was inspired by 54thirty’s recent Instagram post where they made Vasilopita cookies. Here is my modern take on the traditional recipe.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature

1 1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 tablespoon orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

4 cups flour

2 tablespoons baking soda

powdered sugar (to sprinkle on top after cooking)

almonds (optional)

Other:

coin & aluminum foil

mini-cupcake liners & cupcake tray

Instructions:

Wash and dry your coin and cover in a small piece of aluminum foil. You will need this to add into one of the mini-cupcakes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place cupcake liners in your tray to prepare.

In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy smooth consistency.

Add the vanilla extract, orange juice and orange zest. Beat all together until smooth.

In a separate bowl, beat your eggs and then add them into the large bowl of wet mixture/batter. Beat until smooth.

In a separate bowl, add your flour and baking powder together. Slowly add this into the wet mixture/batter. You will only want to beat until it is mixed together.

Pour your batter into the mini-cupcake liners. You will only fill them about 1/2 to 3/4 full. This is when you will add the coin to one of the cupcakes. Optional: If you would like, top each cupcake with an almond.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until you can poke them with a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Allow them to cool and then sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

Yianni’s Avgolemono Soup

Soup is a cure-all for all colds, and feeling cold. The weather this week in Connecticut has been all over the place between the snow day, ice, squalls and temperature drop this morning. I can’t wait to enjoy this authentic Greek soup for dinner. It’s sure to warm me up!

Not only is it quick and easy to make, it’s delicious!

Avgolemono soup is a lemon-egg soup that can be made with rice or orzo. It’s a traditional chicken and rice soup, with Greek avgolemono sauce added. I love adding diced carrots to mine, but you can leave them out, or add additional veggies like diced potatoes.

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken stock

1 whole chicken breast, skinless

2/3 cup rice (or orzo)

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp grated black pepper

3 egg yolks

Juice from 1/2 lemon

2 carrots, chopped

Directions:

In a large pot, boil chicken breast in 6 cups of water for your stock.

Once breast is cooked thoroughly, remove from pot but reserve water for broth.

Add chicken stock to pot.

While simmering, chop carrots and shred chicken breast.

Bring stock to boil. Add rice (or orzo), and chopped carrots. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove 1/2 cup of broth and add in shredded chicken breast.

Allow soup to simmer while preparing the avgolemono sauce.

Beat egg yolk and lemon juice together in a separate bowl.

Slowly add in the 1/2 cup of reserved broth into the bowl while mixing.

Whisk the avoglemono sauce back into your large pot.

Reheat over low heat, until it thickens. Do not allow it to return to a boil as the broth may curdle!

Once soup is thoroughly heated, you can top each bowl off with oregano and pepper.

If you reheat leftovers, I recommend heating it stove top to avoid potential curdling of the broth.

If you like your soup a little more tangy, add more lemon juice!

Bringing water to boil and cooking chicken breast.
Chopped carrots. Feel free to add your favorite veggies!
Shredding boiled chicken breast.
Shredded chicken breast.
Adding chicken broth into whisked egg/lemon mixture a little at a time so it does not curdle.
Ready to serve!

Face Masks

Now that I have had a few months of wearing masks to work, I’ve had time to try many different types and styles. Some are great, some not so much. Since I need to wear glasses while on the computer, I also noticed that some add to glasses fog and some do not. I found that wearing a disposable paper mask under a cloth one significantly reduces the issues of fog so the majority of my favorite masks are large enough to cover the paper masks.

Comfort

Mati Decal Face Mask

The softest and most comfortable masks I found so far are from Hanes. They are lightweight, cotton, and include an adjustable wire to form on your nose. You can find ones with the Evil Eye (Mati) design like the image above on Etsy! They also come in black!

Favorite Patterns

Kitsch Leopard Cotton Face Masks

I absolutely love the patterns from Kitsch. If you follow my Instagram, you might notice I am a little obsessed with Kitsch products. I have the Leopard and Neutral Cotton Face Mask sets that I ordered from Ulta. I have received so many compliments on them. The only downside is that since they are cotton, they WILL shrink if you put them in the dryer so make sure to hang to dry. Good thing is if you forget, you can just throw them back into the washer and restretch while they are damp.

Kitsch Neutral Cotton Face Mask

Teacher Favorite

While checking out Crayola’s website for some lesson plan ideas, I noticed that they sell Crayola-themed face masks in sizes for both kids and adults. The masks have a built in nose bridge that you can adjust to the size of your nose for a better fit- this definately helped with the foggy glasses issue I have been experienced. I loved that there was one for each day of the school week, and it even came with a little laundry bag to keep them safe in the wash!

Love the vibrant cheery colors!

Mask Holders

I am loving these new evil-eye face mask holders. They attach easily to your purse, book bag, or work lanyard. You can find them on Etsy.

October Obsessions

Kalo Mina! Happy November!! Here are the items that I have been obsessed with all last month:

Bissel Spotclean ProHeat Pet Portable Carpet Cleaner

I found this accidentally, while at Walmart getting Halloween decorations last month. As many of you already know, I have a Yorkie named Gizmo who occasionally has accidents. Normally when this has happened, I’ve had to borrow the huge carpet cleaner from my parent’s house, lug it to my house for a small area. I cannot tell you how much I love this spot cleaner! I’ve already used it to clean the seats and carpets in my Jeep, all the furniture (hello fall cleaning!) and the little accident Gizmo had in the hallway the other morning. It is so light, portable and comes apart so that you can clean the brush and water/waste containers. Well worth the price!

Better Homes and Gardens Wall Accent Wax Warmer

I picked a few of these plug-in wax warmers during the same trip to Walmart. I loved the light blue color- it totally matches my Greek-Isles decor. They fill the entire room with scent, and provide a nice warm light.

Sunshine Apple Scented Wax Melts

I absolutely love the scent of these apple wax melts that I found at Target. They really compliment those appleberry candles that I posted about last month too! Since this was my first time using wax melts, I was worried that they would melt quickly, but I have been using the same cube for weeks! The scent is not overwhelming but fills the entire room with fragrance.

Healthy Assets Crop Bra

I came across Healthy Assets on Instagram. Their products are gorgeous (and I love supporting other Greek-American businesses). I started off by ordering one of the crop bras to test it out and I have not been disappointed! I love the fact that the straps are so thin because I can wear this to work and under skinny-strap tank tops without it being obvious that I am wearing a sports bra. It is super flattering and really supportive! I have worn it out jogging and everything stayed in place. I have washed it multiple times a week and it still looks brand new!!

Jogger Sets

I am loving these super comfy jogger sets. They are the perfect lounge-wear and so cute for running errands in. You can find them on my Etsy shop while they last!

Apple Cider Donuts

This past month, I traveled across Connecticut to find the best apple cider donut. You can read all about them here later this week- and check out my food page TrishxDish to follow along!

Soteria Mati Mask Giveaway

Enter to win one of my top-selling mati face masks- the Soteria Mati Face Mask in white! Can’t wait? You can purchase one on my Etsy page

To enter, follow the instructions:

  • FOLLOW me on Instagram (@ImperfectlyPatricia) You must be following me at the time of drawing- I will be checking!
  • LIKE the original post on my Instagram!
  • COMMENT on that Instagram post by tagging a friend! Each comment with a different friend tagged is an additional entry!
  • BONUS entries if you share that post on your stories (on Instagram) and TAG me in it (You must have a public profile for me to see)
  • BONUS entries if you follow my Facebook page and comment your IG handle on the giveaway post!

This giveaway contest runs from the time of posting until Thanksgiving 2020, at midnight EST. 1 winner will be selected and contacted via Instagram DM.

The giveaway is opened to US residents located in the Contiguous United States. This giveaway/contest is not sponsored or affiliated with Instagram, TikTok, WordPress, Etsy or Facebook.

September Obsessions

As September is coming to a close, I want to share the top items that I have absolutely been loving!!

Yoga Wheel

Since I fell last Thanksgiving, I have noticed a lot of overall stiffness. This yoga wheel has been amazing! It can be used so many different ways, and since I starting using it, I noticed more flexibility and less pain. You can order the same on using the Amazon link below!

Bralettes

I spent 6 months of quarantine being home (and braless). Now that I am back at work, I am all about comfort and bralettes. I picked this up at Target and ordered in XL. It fit loosely but is super comfortable. I am definitely planning on ordering additional colors.

Women’s Textured Seamless Longline Bralette by Colsie

Tik Tok Profiles

Stasia_Eleni: She makes Greek videos that are on-point, so funny and totally relatable.

MattLovesHair: He has such a great personality that makes you smile and gives amazing hair tips.

Hair Products

I am LOVING Drybar’s The Double Shot Blow-Dryer. It is a rounded brush and blow dryer all in one! It is like a fresh from the salon blow out every time! I pair this with Drybar’s “yellow” Southern line of products for amazing volume. You can find it in-store at Ulta, on Drybar’s website, and Amazon.

Lunchtime Salads

Because of Covid-19 safety issues, all the teachers at my building were directed to remove all personal refrigerators and microwaves from our classrooms. Typically, I would bring in leftovers from the night before and reheat them for lunch. Since this is not an option, my go-to lunches are salads. I have become obsessed with shredded carrots to top the salads off and switch up my dressings for a little diversity. Besides plain oil and vinegar, I also use Panera Bread’s Balsamic, Wishbones Red Wine Vinaigrette, and the salad dressing from Jordan’s Restaurant in Norwalk (you can buy it bottled). I am loving these twist top containers from Target. I purchased the Twist and Store Containers in large for the salad and pop the dressing into the small 4 ounce ones.

Apple Candles

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJUGKhK6/

Fall is officially here! Bring on all the apple scents! All September I have been using this Appleberry scented candle from Red Leaf Home. You can find them at TJ Maxx, Homegoods and Michaels.

Hulu Binge

This month a few of my weekends consisted of me working on lesson plans and binging Hulu. Last year I started watching Good Trouble on Freeform (don’t judge), and since there aren’t any new episodes yet, I began binging the show it was based off- The Fosters.

What have you been obsessed with this past month? I would love to hear!

Art Challenge Extra Credit 2020-2021

Each year I provide an extra credit opportunity for my students using an art drawing challenge. You can read about how I have used these art challenges in past years here.

This year due to social distancing protocols, collecting the extra credit will look a little different. I have set up Google Forms where students can upload photographs of their artwork. I plan to post this form in our Google Classroom for a one week period so that students have the opportunity to submit any or all of the extra credit they may have done.

Example of Google Form

Theia Mati Keychain Giveaway Info

Enter to win one of my top-selling mati keychains- the Theia gold glitter mati! Can’t wait? You can purchase one on my Etsy page– Don’t forget to use my code GOLDGODDESS for free shipping in July!

To enter, follow the instructions:

  • FOLLOW me on Instagram (@ImperfectlyPatricia) You must be following me at the time of drawing- I will be checking!
  • LIKE this original post on my Instagram!
  • COMMENT on that Instagram post by tagging a friend who would love a mati keychain! Each comment with a different friend tagged is an additional entry!
  • BONUS entries if you share that post on your stories (on Instagram) and TAG me in it (You must have a public profile for me to see)
  • BONUS entries if you follow my Facebook page and comment your IG handle on the giveaway post!

This giveaway contest runs from the time of posting until August 15, 2020, at midnight EST. 1 winner will be selected and contacted via Instagram DM.

The giveaway is opened to US residents located in the Contiguous United States. This giveaway/contest is not sponsored or affiliated with Instagram, TikTok, WordPress, Etsy or Facebook.

Cricut Tool Organization

Now that I have become Cricut-obsessed, I needed an organizational system for the tools. I found this adorable makeup brush holder at Target from Sonia Kashuk that matches my gold themed decor.

Everything fit in the compartments, but kept falling down so I thought of adding some beads or gems in the bottom to keep the tools upright. In the past, I purchased tiny gems for my makeup brushes, but they were on the pricy end, and I would have needed so much more to fill the tool holder. While at the Dollar Tree I came across these acrylic gems.

It took about 4 bags to fill up the container, but it definitely helps to hold all the tools upright.

New Product Launch! Etsy!

Theia- Gold Glitter Keychain

My newest (and favorite) keychain is now posted and up for sale on my Etsy page! https://www.etsy.com/shop/imperfectlypatricia

Named after the Goddess Theia- mother of Helios (the sun), this keychain will definitely remind you of the Grecian sun!

To celebrate this new product, I am offering FREE SHIPPING from now until the end of July! Use the code “GOLDGODDESS” when checking out!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ImperfectlyPatricia?coupon=GOLDGODDESS

Lavender Pond Farm

Since my travel plans were cancelled for this year, I am hoping to visit as much as my home state as I can this summer. The first place on my list was Lavender Pond Farm in Killingworth- which is very close to the Clinton Outlets!

Social distancing was a breeze since the majority of the farm is outdoors, with exception of the gift shop (which they were amazing at limiting individuals inside). The farm included this adorable covered bridge pictured above, with a lavender “trolley” that brought you around the property and serene pond!

There were several different varieties of lavender to see (and smell), and many of them were for sale in the gift shop too!

After touring the fields, take a break to play a round with their giant outdoor chess board!

The gift shop included so many different products, from personal care/bath to lavender infused food products. I purchased some lavender spices and cannot wait to experiment with them soon!

Check out my Instagram page for more photos and videos of the field and our trip!

Cold Greek Inspired Orzo Salad

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! While we did not celebrate how we traditionally do- with a large get together followed by the fireworks display at the beach, we still had a great time with our family. If you’re anything like my family, you made WAY too much food yesterday, and will be enjoying those leftovers today. One great way to change things up a bit is by adding a new side dish! This easy to make orzo salad is served cold, and pairs well with burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken and helps to bring a little cold to this otherwise hot summer.

Ingredients:

1 bag of orzo

Baby spinach

Bite-sized tomatoes (cherry or grape)

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Vinegar

Lemon

Feta Cheese

Oregano

Kalamata Olives

Cucumbers

Instructions:

Prepare your orzo according to the package. While the orzo is cooking, prepare the other ingredients.

Wash and dry about 3 large handfuls of baby spinach. Add it to a heated skillet and cook until wilted. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, cut into thin slices.

Wash and dry your tomatoes. Cut into small bite-sized pieces. Since orzo is small, I cut my tomatoes into halves and then quartered each half.

Peel cucumbers and cut into bite-sized quarters.

Cut feta cheese into small cubes.

Drain, rinse and slice your olives.

Once your orzo is cooked, rinse with cold water and add to a large bowl. Mix in your cooked spinach, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers and feta.

Optional: add fresh, sliced basil too!

Add salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, oregano and lemon to taste. Or instead, feel free to add your favorite bottled salad dressing!

Cover and leave in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to chill. Top with additional oil/vinegar or salad dressing and serve!

Acrylic Paint Organization

I’ve spent the last few weeks trying to come up with a plan to reorganize certain parts of my apartment. I have been living there for a few years and kinda dropped the ball on some projects that I didn’t finish when I first moved in. I started off with my art room/office.

I tackled the closet first to see what art supplies I had, and organized everything by adding in a metal shelf. I also spray painted everything gold to match the decor with the rest of the house.

When cleaning, I realized that I had QUITE the extensive collection of small acrylic paints from over the years. When it came to my acrylic paint collection, I needed to come up with a solution to find colors quickly. I ordered these plastic baskets from Amazon and spray painted them gold. I used Rustoleum’s Metallic Gold which I ordered from Target.

While the baskets were drying, I lined the inside of the closet doors with <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://&lt;!– wp:paragraph –> <p>While the baskets were drying, I lined the inside of the closet doors with marble Con-Tact paper<a href="https://www.target.com/p/con-tact-18–34–x-20–39–creative-covering-multipurpose-marble-shelf-liner-white/-/A-54345585&quot; target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.target.com/p/con-tact-18–34–x-20–39–creative-covering-multipurpose-marble-shelf-liner-white/-/A-54345585</a></p&gt; marble Con-Tact paper and marked off every 6 inches to hang the baskets so that the paints were able to fit comfortably.

Once the baskets were ready to hang, I used regular screws (keeping in mind their length so that they did not poke through the door) on either side of basket where their first hole was. I used a level to make sure each basket was hung straight.

Once the first basket was hung, it was easier to match up the sides and screws. Once they were all up I was ready to start adding my paints!

I still need to paint the screws gold so they blend in

I can’t wait to finish the rest of the office! Check my instagram this week for pics of the results!

Haircare

I have had long hair for so long, I don’t even remember the last time it was above my shoulders. I have put my hair through a lot over the years- and have tried SO MANY different products. (At one point I had to give away my hair supplies when I moved apartments because there was just so much to pack).

Here are some of my top favorite hair products and accessories:

Shampoo & Conditioner

I change my shampoos and conditioners often and use different ones depending on how I intend to style my hair the next day.

Hair Appliances

Products

Accessories

Activist Art Unit

My students are wrapping up their Activist Art Unit which consisted of four lessons and ended with students creating a digital poster. This lesson was based on one that my friend had previously done with her middle school students.

Part 1

Students were slowly introduced to activist art with a short assignment. I provided two different paintings with Rosie the Riveter as the subject, and students responded. You can download part 1 on my teacherspayteachers page.

Part 2

Students watched a short video clip from PBS and then brainstormed ideas for their activist art. Students wrote about what their theoretical activist artwork would consist of, what it would look like, and where it would be displayed. You can download part 2 on my teacherspayteachers page.

Part 3

I provided 15 different posters (selected from Amplifier.org) from artists addressing current issues relating to COVID-19. Students selected one of the pieces of artwork provided, and then responded using the template. You can download part 3 on my teacherspayteachers page.

Part 4

The final part of this unit consisted of students creating their digital posters responding to current issues relating to COVID-19. For this assignment, I asked students to utilize one of two different programs. They could choose to use Sketch or Canva. I also provided a Youtube tutorial for students who chose to utilize the Canva app. Both Sketch and Canva are free programs, however students will need to sign up to use Canva. Students used Google Forms to submit their posters in .JPG and I created a Youtube video sharing all their posters. You can check out their artwork here!

poster made using Canva

While we were off to a rocky start, the students really seemed to respond and connect with this assignment. I was pleasantly surprised by the responses and completely stunned and proud of the posters that my students created.

Rainbow Pancake Cereal

Have you seen the newest food trend, Pancake Cereal? I came across it on Tik Tok (yes, I know I am in my 30’s, on an app for teens, but I find such awesome inspo on it!!).

The concept is to make tiny pancakes, put them all in a bowl (over milk- optional), and then top them off with syrup. Since I am a huge breakfast fan, I knew that I needed to try this out.

To make my pancakes, I cheated a bit and used Bisquik mix. After the batter was prepped, I added the batter into a ziplock bag and cut a small piece of the corner off. You want to start with the smallest hole, otherwise your batter will come out too fast and the size will be harder to control.

The first batch I made was WAY too large, but after the next batch I was able to control the batter much better. I topped them off with rainbow sprinkles and then flipped.

Have you tried them out yet?

Check out my TikTok video, username: ImperfectlyPatricia

Toilet Paper Roll-Curtain Hack

I wanted to take advantage of this weekend between grad courses and rearrange my bedroom furniture. The one thing that has always bothered me were my curtains.

I love the curtains in my bedroom, but they lacked shape. I have seen this hack online where you hide toilet paper rolls in between the grommets so that the curtains sit properly.

Curtains flat

Over the past few months, I collected the used paper and paper towel rolls and finally had enough to complete my entire bedroom.

Collect your rolls
Measure the spacing between grommets or rod holes and cut
Cut slits in the back so they fit over the curtain rod
How they look after! Just need to be steamed!

I have also seen this hack done with pool noodles. What do you think? Which one do you like better, the before, or after pic?

National Oatmeal Cookie Day

Today is National Oatmeal Cookie Day and what better way to spend this rainy day than baking? I LOVE oatmeal cookies!

My top favorite oatmeal cookies come from The Pantry in Fairfield, CT, and Jones Tree Farm in Shelton, CT.

The Pantry is a gourmet food shop located in downtown Fairfield. It has an amazing selection of fresh, and prepared foods (love their salad bar), and their pastries are TO DIE FOR. I always pick up a cookie or two (or three) when I stop by and my favorite is their Ultimate- a variation on the traditional oatmeal raisin cookie. It includes yummy white and milk chocolate chips. Sometimes you can find them in their frozen foods section too to take home and bake later.

Ultimate Cookies from The Pantry in Fairfield, CT

My next favorite cookie is one that I only get once per year at Christmas time, but lucky for us, Jones Family Farms in Shelton has their recipe posted so you can make these delicious treats at home, year round! Don’t let the name fool you, these thin but soft and crispy “holiday” cookies are great anytime. I can’t wait to whip up a batch today! You can check out their easy to make recipe on their website here! https://www.jonesfamilyfarms.com/kitchen/recipes/jones-trail-mix-holiday-cookies

Jones Trail Mix Holiday Cookie from Jones Family Farm in Shelton, CT

What is your favorite oatmeal raisin cookie? Do you prefer traditional or a variation?

Google Classroom Lesson: Wayne Thiebaud & Claes Oldenburg Unit

In class before we left, my students were learning about Pop Artists Wayne Thiebaud and Claes Oldenburg. I gave a short art history about each artist and then students completed assignments based upon each artist. More recently, the students completed a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting artwork that I displayed on the board.

Since we have been out of the building, our school has been utilizing Google Classroom as a platform for virtual learning. Here is the first unit that I completed with my 6th-grade students.

Since I only see my students once per week, I have been posting one assignment per week on Monday morning and allowing students to complete it at their leisure during the week and submitting the assignment before the end of the day on Friday. The first group of assignments related together as a larger unit.

Assignment 1: Wayne Thiebaud Bio

“Read Wayne Thiebaud Biography
Answer Questions relating to Biography (in complete sentences)
Submit your assignment via Google Classroom. Please make sure you include your first name, last name and class name on the top!
Due Date: [INSERT DUE DATE]

If you have any issues with the assignment (the reading, submitting it, etc) please let me know as soon as possible. Thanks! 

Puedes Usar: https://www.spanishdict.com/translation Y responder en español. las respuestas están en la lectura en la otra página.

If anyone needs/wants to listen to the bio while reading along: https://youtu.be/eeM3PfEwdmg“

Assignment 2: Claes Oldenburg Bio

“Read Claes Oldenburg Biography
Answer Questions relating to Biography (in complete sentences)
Submit your assignment via Google Classroom. Please make sure you include your first name, last name and class name on the top!
Due Date: [INSERT DUE DATE]

If you have any issues with the assignment (the reading, submitting it, etc) please let me know as soon as possible. Thanks! 

Puedes Usar: https://www.spanishdict.com/translation Y responder en español. las respuestas están en la lectura en la otra página”

Assignment 3: Virtual Museum Visit

“Visit a museum virtually to answer some questions about the artwork (mini-critique) from Wayne Thiebaud and Claes Oldenburg. Please use the template that I provide you and submit in Word Doc (NOT PDF) before [INSERT DUE DATE] Your responses for the description should be more than 1-2 sentences. If you have any questions, please email me: [INSERT CONTACT]

If you try this out, I’d love to hear from you! ImperfectlyPatricia@gmail.com

Top Fave Teas

Today is #InternationalTeaDay! Tea is my go-to drink (besides water, I’m really basic).

My top favorite teas:

What’s your favorite tea?

Natural Easter Egg Dye

I have wanted to try dying Easter eggs with natural, homemade dyes. Some sources say to boil the eggs in the dye to cook, and then leaving the eggs in the dye for additional time to give them a more intense color. Others suggest to boil the dye and eggs separately, allow the dye to cool, strain the natural ingredients out and then allow the eggs to soak in the color. Either technique, you need to allow the eggs to soak in the color for a minimum of 30 minutes. The longer you allow the eggs to remain in the color, the more vibrant the color will be. In addition, I recommend using white eggs (and adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to your eggs when boiling them).

Remember, these are natural dyes so they are much more subtle than store-bought, boxed kits. It’s also a great way to reuse items that normally would be discarded at home, and great family activity!

Red- Red Onion skins

Red-Orange: Paprika

Raw Sienna: Yellow Onion Peels

Yellow: Cumin

Golden Yellow: Tumeric

Light Green: Matcha Tea

Green: Spinach or Fresh Parsley

Blue-Green: Red Cabbage

Blue: Purple Cabbage

Blue-grey: Blueberries

Purple: Grape Juice

Lavender: Hibiscus Tea (bag)

Purple: Red Wine

Bright Pink: Chopped Beets

Brown: Strong Coffee

You can also try adding decoration before dying with resist techniques such as drawing on the eggs using a white (or even colored) crayons, or even dripping candle wax on them.

Experiment and try combos too! Have you tried dying Easter eggs with natural dyes?

I’d love to hear from you! ImperfectlyPatricia@gmail.com

International Children’s Book Day

International Children’s Book Day is celebrated annually on April 2. Although I no longer teach lower grades, I used to LOVE incorporating literature with my art lesson plans! I have two lists below, one of art-specific children’s books, and ones that I have used to accompany lesson plans. Keep posted to see what elementary lesson plans I have used them with as I update my lesson plan section over the next upcoming months!

Art Children’s (school-aged) Books:

  • The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas
  • Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung
  • The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art by Barb Rosenstock
  • Through the Window: Views of Marc Chagall’s Life and Art by Barb Rosenstock
  • Vincent Can’t Sleep: Van Gogh Paints the Night Sky by Barb Rosenstock
  • Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg
  • Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Bjork
  • I am Marc Chagall: Text Loosely Inspired by My Life by Marc Chagall by Bimba Landmann
  • Dorothea Lange: The Photographer Who Found the Faces of the Depression by Carole Boston Weatherford
  • Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
  • Kid’s Artists: True Tales of Childhood from Creative Legends by David Stabler
  • Love from the Crayons by Drew Dewalt
  • The Crayon’s Book of Colors by Drew Dewalt
  • The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Dewalt
  • The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Dewalt
  • Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
  • Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh
  • Cassie’s Word Quilt by Faith Ringgold
  • Counting to Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
  • Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
  • The Green Fingers of Monsieur Monet by Giancarlo Ascari
  • Chagall: My Sad and Joyous Village by Jacqueline Loumaye
  • Katie and the Mona Lisa by James Mayhew
  • Action Jackson by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
  • Henri’s Scissors by Jeanette Winter
  • My Museum by Joanne Liu
  • Monet and The Waterlilly Friends by Judiee
  • Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson
  • Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing by Kay A. Haring
  • Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt
  • Tell Us a Story, Papa Chagall by Laurence Anholt
  • A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
  • Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert
  • Dreamer from the Village: The Story of Marc Chagall by Michelle Markel
  • Frida Kahlo and Her Anamalitos by Monica Brown
  • How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney
  • Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds
  • The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
  • El Punto (Spanish Edition) by Esther Rubio and Peter H. Reynolds
  • The Museum by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds
  • Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity by Sarah Suzuki
  • Artists and their Pets: True Stories of Famous Artists and their Animal Friends by Susie Hodge
  • The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaola

Books that go great with art lessons:

  • Chickadee’s Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
  • Any Eric Carle Book
  • Pete the Cat books by James Dean and Kimberly Dean
  • Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
  • If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff
  • Planting A Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
  • Wow! City! by Robert Neubecker
  • Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore

Art Baby Books:

  • Goodnight, Starry Night by Amy Guglielmo
  • My First Book of Patterns by Bobby & June George
  • Art Baby: Hearts and Stars by Chez Picthall
  • Art Baby: Spots and Dots by Chez Picthall
  • The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
  • Blue and Other Colors: With Henri Matisse by Henri Matisse
  • Press Here by Herve Tullet
  • This Little Artist: An Art History Primer by Joan Holub
  • Mini French Masters by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
  • Mini Masters Boxed Set by Julie Merberg
  • Painting with Picasso by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
  • 100 First Words for Little Artists by Kyle Kershner
  • Frida Kahlo (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vergara
  • Museum ABC by The NY Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Andy Warhol So Many Stars by Mudpuppy and Andy Warhol
  • Keith Haring Pop Art 123! by Mudpuppy and Keith Haring
  • Little Artist Board Book Set by Mudpuppy and Emily Kleinman
  • My First Shapes with Frank Lloyd Wright by Mudpuppy
  • Pop Art Baby! My First Words with Keith Haring from Mudpuppy
  • Pantone: Colors by Pantone and Helen Dark
  • Counting with Frida by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein
  • My First Art Book by Patricio
  • ABC’s of Art by Sabrina Hahn
  • Art For Baby from Templar

Do you have any books that you use that aren’t on this list? I’d love to hear from you: imperfectlypatricia@gmail.com

Scrap Gardens

Did you know that you can regrow many vegetables, just using the scraps you would normally throw away?

I had decided that one of my new year’s goals was to create a garden this year. With all the uncertainty lately (not expecting to go to Home Depot or the local gardening centers soon), and the fact that the weather has been warming up and I would like to start gardening, I was reading up on regrowing vegetables from scraps.

The process for regrowing vegetables seems pretty easy- just saving the ends of veggies I was already eating, and place them in a bit of water.

I am starting with Romaine lettuce, but am planning on regrowing other veggies too (as I eat them).

Romaine Lettuce ready to regrow!

Here’s a list of other vegetables (some fruits and herbs too) that can be regrown. Can’t wait to try them out! Do you have any recommendations?

  • Basil
  • Beets
  • Bok Choy
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Cilantro
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Green Onions
  • Leeks
  • Lemongrass
  • Mint
  • Onions
  • Oregano
  • Parsnips
  • Pineapple
  • Potatoes
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Radishes
  • Romaine Lettuce
  • Rosemary
  • Turnips

Keep checking my Instagram page for updates and pics of my regrown garden!

In just a few days, the lettuce is starting to regrow!

Frozen Margaritas

It’s National Cocktail Day!

Although it’s still pretty chilly (38* F) in Connecticut, I want to share my easy to make Frozen Margaritas. They are so simple, great to make ahead for a large party and sure are a crowd-pleaser.

We discovered this idea years ago at my college graduation party when we wanted to serve margaritas, but realized that they were not ideal for a large crowd since we only owned one blender, and it would require the host to make several pitchers (and sit inside missing out on all the fun). The solution was to make the Margaritas ahead of time and freeze them until the party!

You can make these Margaritas several days before your get- together. Just fill up a glass mason jar halfway with the Margaritas, freeze and serve! The mason jars serve as glasses and you can leave the lids on and display them in a galvanized bucket or tub. Just have your guests add seltzer water, a slice of fresh lime and a straw!

What you will need:

  • A blender
  • Triple Sec
  • Tequila
  • Frozen Limeade (concentrate)
  • Ice
  • Pitcher, glasses or mason jars to serve in
  • Seltzer water (unflavored)
  • Straws
  • Fresh limes (for garnish)

Empty the limeade concentrate into your blender. I prefer the Minute Maid Limeade, but any brand will do. You will use the empty container as a measuring cup for your alcoholic ingredients. Add one container full of tequila and 1/2 container full of triple sec to the blender. Fill to the top with ice and blend until smooth.

Pour HALF serving into a glass (mason jar, or pitcher) and MAKE SURE to add seltzer water into them (otherwise these Margaritas will knock you on your behind- they will be STRONG).

I love serving them in mason jars with paper straws and a slice of lime. They freeze well to make in advance for parties and get-togethers (summer parties anyone?)