The Bluebird Patch

Creamy Soups 101 "Ever since I moved down south I learned to appreciate the power or a warm bowl of soup on a cold winter night. The thing about soups is that even when your fridge has slim pickings with a little love and some creativity you can always make it work".   Liza Cardona  Learning the basics. The way I approached this "recipe" was by NOT following one.  For creamy soups that are made with starchy vegetables such as potato, I learned the best way to cook it is by roasting (in this case) the potato and the cauliflower.  To create the flavor base for ANY soup you need to sautee some veggies. Onions, garlic, celery or whatever you have available (mushrooms, leeks, carrots, shallots).  For this specific soup I used celery, onions, and garlic. To build your soup you need liquid. Add your broth of choice (vegetable, chicken, veal, organic, etc), and milk (whole, reduced or in my case fat free). If you don't have milk

  Photo © Center for Puppetry Arts "There's no better way of storytelling than teaching through the use of fantasy and puppetry. The work done by the Center of Puppetry Arts is critical for our community since storytelling is essential for children's development. The Center of Puppetry arts not only helps disseminate knowledge but helps our children become more intimate with their cultural heritage ".  Liza Cardona    This January join the Center for Puppetry Arts for an intergalactic journey of discovery. Space! takes the audience on a fun-filled rock-n-roll exploration of the cosmos.  Written and Directed by Jon Ludwig and music composed by John Cerreta this 2011-2012 family series runs from January 26 through March 11 at the main stage theater. Show description: In space, no one can hear you... learn! Blast off on a galactic journey of scientific facts

           ONE MAN'S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN'S TREASURE   "I absolutely adore white dinnerware. I love the look and the feel of it. It makes any home-cooked meal look like it was made at a five star restaurant".   Liza Cardona   While most people believe white dishes are boring I find then extremely appealing. Many chefs prefer white plates because white goes with anything, makes the food “pop” visually and allows for a more diverse meal presentation. I've been collecting white dinnerware over the years. The most unique pieces have been have been found at local Goodwill's or antique shops. I have several vintage pieces that I rotate and display around the house depending on the season of the year. The good thing about white dinnerware is that it goes well with any type of decor.  In an effort to stand by one of my new year's resolution ( live simply and never beyond my means ), I went to my local

 COOKIE CUTTERS ARE MORE THAN JUST MAKING HOLIDAY SWEETS "Some people believe you can't have a birthday without a cake but I think you can't have a birthday if you don't have candles to blow out and make a wish".  Liza Cardona   As it turns out, putting candles on birthday cakes is a tradition that has been around for centuries. It has been traced back to the Ancient Greeks, who often burned candles as offerings to their many gods and goddesses. In Germany, mainly for religious reasons, people would place a large candle in the center of the cake to symbolize “the light of life”. Scholars also say that the custom of placing candles originated because people believed that Gods lived in the skies. They thought that lit candle helped to send signals and prayers to the god so that they could be answered more effectively.    Even today people hold a lot of superstitious beliefs about birthday candles. The person celebrating his or her birthday

RED BULL SOAPBOX RACE RETURNS TO ATLANTA Applications Now Being Accepted for June 9 Race in Midtown "Soapbox derbies are close to my heart. As A kid I remember the stories of how my father spent hours building and perfecting one. He eventually won first place and was lucky enough to fly to the United States and represent Puerto Rico in the All American Soap Box Derby.My father eventually became a very successful engineer and although he is not building soap box cars anymore he still enjoys telling the story to his grandkids". Liza Cardona Now is the time for Atlantans to have fun and put their noodles to work. Gather your family and start making plans because the Red Bull Soapbox Race, featuring some of the wildest legal street racing around, is set to once again screech into Atlanta for a 2012 pit stop.   While the city is renowned for its traffic gridlock, on Saturday, June 9 the usually clogged streets of Midtown near Piedmont Park will transform into

The First Amendment to the Constitution states: “ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

"There's no place like Camp Sunshine, There's no place like Camp Sunshine, There's no place like Camp Sunshine"  " Camp Sunshine is an organization that is close to my heart. Mere words can't describe Camp Sunshine, because it's more than a place. It's more than a camp. It's more than a house. It's a program that offers an infusion of love, support, fun, acceptance and hope for children with cancer, and it's in full swing all year long. Help them reach their fundraising goal by donating or supporting their events".  Liza Cardona Introduce your children to the kind of magic only found   in the Land of Oz.   Join  Camp Sunshine at the Alliance Theatre on Sunday, February 26, for one of two magical performances of The Wizard of Oz! Performances are at 1:00pm and 3:30pm.  We are so excited to partner with our Presenting Sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company and Atlanta's nationally acclaimed Alliance Theatre t

 In a profession like mine where every appointment needs to be at least 45 minute but never greater than 60 you quickly learn to never leave your watch at home. These days watches seem to loosing out to cell phones for time keeping across the younger demographics. But what makes a watch special? Could it be the tech inside of it? The person who gave it to you? The meaning of it as a gift? For me a watch is the perfect accessory to lift your spirits boost your outfit. My favorite style are the leather strap watches. What can I say, I love classic pieces that I can wear forever and goes well with every of outfit. Jacqueline Kennedy was notoriously know for wearing a black leather strap watch.  The leather strap Seiko watches at BlueDial.com are quite fabulous. One of my favorite is the Seiko SXGN42. This one is basically a carbon copy of the Jackie O watch. Blue Dial have some of the best top name brand watches at the lowest prices. Plus they have FREE

"One of my resolutions this year was to live simply, keep it local and buy more made in America products. So when I recently came across with the "Independent We Stand" movement I knew I had to share it with my readers. Supporting local business and not "big box stores' not only benefits our community but is essential if we want to teach and encourage entrepreneurship among the current and future generations".  Liza Cardona This Valentine’s Day, the average person will spend $116.21 on presents like cards, flowers, lingerie or dinner, for a total of more than $15.7 billion on gifts nationwide. If each person spent that $116.21 at a locally owned independent business rather than in a national chain, $79 would stay in their community thanks to local payrolls and taxes. More than $10.67 billion would be reinvested in local communities throughout the country. If each person bought their gifts only at national chains instead, that re

"From all the timeless fashion trends the “nautical” look has always been my favorite. I really need to restrain myself from not buying too many striped shirts and dresses but this season the trend is hitting the stores hard.  The nautical look is such an easy look, classic, timeless, unpretentious, playful, a true reflection of my personality". Liza Cardona The nautical look is the new trend for spring 2012. Is everywhere from Old, Navy, Gap, to Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Yves Saint Laurent, and Dior. The nautical look is an easy look to achieve and has proven to be a fashion staple over the years.  From Kate Middleton, Reese Witherspoon to Jacqeline Kennedy, this look seems to be a favorite among celebrities and members of the  royal family. So if you love this look, as much as I do, let's dressed up and rock our stripes. Navy lovers unite. The nautical look is back!! <3      Kate Middleton Blake Lively Pippa Middl