a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M5dKBd5_Vfk/ScNHNcPK7tI/AAAAAAAAA9w/sL0gONWEr2M/s1600-h/free-spring-download2.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 348px; height: 400px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M5dKBd5_Vfk/ScNHNcPK7tI/AAAAAAAAA9w/sL0gONWEr2M/s400/free-spring-download2.jpg” alt=”" id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315170281471012562″ border=”0″ //aThank goodness it’s spring, right? I’m looking forward to eternal sandal-wearing, salad-eating weather. (It seems like it can never end when you are experiencing it.) It’s very late in the evening — rather, very early in the morning? — and I’m heading off to sleep soon, after a cup of tea (chamomile of course!).br /br /So, anyway, I’ve made some decisions this week that are kind of big. One of which is to take a break from the blog for a while. span style=”font-style: italic;”br /br /Egads, there, I said it!/spanbr /br /Not just a week or two, I’m not sure how long, a couple of months maybe. Enough time to get my bearings, and focus on my work and things that I want to do for a href=”http://loveliette.com/”the shop/a. You know how it is, I’m sure; There are just so many wonderful things to do that one might try to do them all and then crash and burn and feel like nothing is really getting done. My decision may seem very sudden, what with my abundance of posting of late, and maybe it is, a little. I’ve been feeling, lately, a little overwhelmed and after much thinking I came to the conclusion that I can’t really do everything, at least not right now. Once I decided to put the blog on hiatus, I knew it was the right thing to do.br /br /But I’m excited! I have lots of ideas I want to pursue and I’ll have the opportunity to think more about those things. It just so happens that I enjoy blogging so much that I often think about it more than the projects I span style=”font-style: italic;”should/span be working on.br /br /Anyway, just wanted to let you know, as opposed to just disappearing for a while. And I want to let you know that this is spanonly temporary/span! br /br /I have appreciated your support and friendship throughout the life of this blog. And I hope to keep in touch with all of you while I focus on work and once I get a href=”http://loveliette.com/”my shop/a going and start posting again, I really do!br /br /So I have created a href=”http://loveliette.com”a mailing list/a. This way I can let you all know when I’m officially back and when the a href=”http://loveliette.com/”new site/a is up. (Please see the sign-up module to the right or visit a href=”http://loveliette.com”loveliette.com/a!)br /br /As a thank you I created a printable pdf of gift tags and egg stands with the theme of the moment - Spring! Miss Violet and Mr. Henry Bunny have recently gotten their portraits painted and wanted so much to meet you.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M5dKBd5_Vfk/ScNHNWbOpjI/AAAAAAAAA9o/fdnFoBEGMlA/s1600-h/free-spring-download3.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M5dKBd5_Vfk/ScNHNWbOpjI/AAAAAAAAA9o/fdnFoBEGMlA/s400/free-spring-download3.jpg” alt=”" id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315170279910975026″ border=”0″ //aI had such fun drawing these rabbit friends in their spring outfits. Speaking of outfits, I also recently posted photos of my entire collection of a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/faeriefurballs/sets/72157615226191678/”vintage sewing patterns to flickr/a which you may find enjoyable. And I’ll continue to post other images to flickr - like that a href=”http://thefabledneedle.blogspot.com/2009/03/happy-mondays.html”vintage dress/a I plan to sew!br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M5dKBd5_Vfk/ScNHNt1XGsI/AAAAAAAAA94/G10xlm6X4q0/s1600-h/free-spring-download1.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 297px; height: 400px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M5dKBd5_Vfk/ScNHNt1XGsI/AAAAAAAAA94/G10xlm6X4q0/s400/free-spring-download1.jpg” alt=”" id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315170286194596546″ border=”0″ //aAgain, thank you so much for being here and visiting me in blogland. Hope to see you soon!br /br /xo, jen

This past weekend I went to my local library and got a library card which was so exciting since I haven’t had a library card in, like, 10 years. I nearly forgot how much I enjoyed picking random aisles and arbitrarily sliding a book off the shelf to peak inside. This library is very small but nonetheless a wealth of information. I walked out with 6 heavy books, one of which was “Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes” by Jeanne Kelley.

The book itself is beautiful and the recipes have this California/French Countryside vibe (perfect). I was drawn to read one recipe primarily out of curiosity, “Rabbit with Prunes and Olives.” Well, let’s just say that I have no plans to stew up rabbit any soon (”Not that there’s anything wrong with that,”  I guess.) but since the author mentions this recipe is based off of a chicken one then I figured it would turn out about the same. Chicken I can do.

Folks, this was good. I mean GOOD. And easy. And not too expensive (initially buying olives and white wine seem expensive but they can last through a few recipes). I served this with a simple green salad and couscous seasoned with a pinch of lavender salt.

Here is the recipe with my notes in brackets:

“Chicken with Prunes and Olives”

2 T olive oil [I used extra virgin b/c that's all I have]

1 whole chicken (about 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 lbs), cut into 8 pieces [I used 2 1/2 lb chicken, 3 large bone-in breasts with skin and fat removed]

Salt and pepper

1 large onion, chopped [this I julienned and only used half but a whole one would be just fine]

6 garlic cloves, chopped [I always crush mine simply b/c it's easier]

2/3 c dry white wine [I used 1/2 c white cooking wine and the rest was cooking sherry, seemed to work!]

3 T red wine vinegar

3 T chopped fresh oregano or 3 t dried [I used dried]

2 T light brown sugar [I used dark brown]

1/2 c pitted prunes

1/2 c picholine or other brine-cured green olives [I used large garlic-stuffed ones]

Heat 1 T of the olive oil in a heavy, large enameled Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.br /br /Add the remaining 1 T olive oil, the onion, and garlic to the Dutch oven and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes (the bottom of the pan should be dark brown but not burned). Add the wine and bring to a boil, stirring up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan (deglazing). Add the vinegar and reduce the heat to low. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven and add 3 cups of water. Add 2 T [or 2 t if using dried] of the oregano and the brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the chicken is no longer pink and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the prunes and olives and simmer, partially covered, until the chicken and prunes are very tender, about 15 minutes. (Can be prepared to this point up to 2 days ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Return to a simmer.)

Transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Boil the liquid in the Dutch oven until it has thickened and reduced to a sauce consistency, about 5 minutes [this seemed to take me about twice the time]. Season the salt with salt and pepper to taste and spoon over the chicken. Sprinkle with remaining 1 T [or 1 t dried] oregano and serve.

[I say this makes about 4 servings.]

“Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes” by Jeanne Kelley. Excerpted by arrangement with Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2008.