Pumpity Pumpkins

So this post is potentially a little late...we're decorating pumpkins?  Really?  But actually, this may be an ideal time because:
    a.) Faux pumpkins are on sale
    b.) Pumpkins are for the birds...birds being Thanksgiving turkeys

Who said you can't still have autumnally decorated pumpkins???  I think painting some designs in sage and brown would be pretty.  Or maybe you could follow the monogram craze with a single large letter with a last name.  Either way, I still think painted pumpkins are cute for some turkey time decorating :)

To me, being artistic and being crafty are two different things.  Using real pumpkins is artistic--it's a bold move to spend so much time on an item that you'll be throwing in the dumpster in a few weeks.  I, however, am not artistic.  I am crafty.  Therefore, I use faux pumpkins (yup...the fake ones) because I can spend a lot of time on a design but then I can pull them out next year and not feel like I wasted my time.

Plus, if you pair the pumpkins from Hobby Lobby or Michael's with a coupon (check that you can use it in conjunction with any sales going on), you can have a really cheap decoration that looks fancy schmancy.

For my pumpkins, I decided to do a chevron which, for me, was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.  But, of course, the first thing to do was to pick your pumpkins out of the variety of shapes and sizes available:

Then you need to tape off your design.  I used Frog Tape, but you could use regular painter's tape.  Make sure you REALLY seal down the edges where the pumpkin dips because I had some paint drippage problems.

Paint it up!  I used acrylic paint and the cheap little sponges that you can get anywhere from 5-10 for a dollar.  I wanted the stripes to be really opaque, so I did about three coats of paint.

Let everything dry overnight, and then you can peel off your tape!

Like I said earlier, some of my lines leaked a little, so I'm going to go back and add a stripe of purple onto the white zig zag and white onto the purple zig zag to add some detail and clean it up.  After that dries, I'm going to spray it with a matte sealer (available in craft stores by the glues and scrapbook area) to keep it all nice for future years :)

Happy Pre-Turkey Day....get ready....set....PAINT!!!! 

Asparagus and Parmesan Orzo

You may have possibly been directed here by my old blog, or maybe you're a new reader (yay!), but either way, welcome to Fit For a Queen!

I tend to have a wide range of interests, however my biggest passion is food, so hopefully you like finding nifty recipes for yummy treats :)  I'll also be hitting other crafts or running or sports or whatever happens to suit my fancy...as long as it's interesting.

Now on to the food!

Everybody loves a good rice packet (if you say you don't, you're lying).  But sometimes I find the packets a little too salty or just too flavorful for complementing the main dish.  This recipe for Asparagus and Parmesan Orzo is the perfect blend of mild flavors to serve as a great side for any dish, or you could even cook up some chicken or shrimp and throw it in to make this a main course!

Asparagus and Parmesan Orzo

1 cup orzo

1 cup asparagus, cut into one inch pieces (I used asparagus tips...they cook a little quicker)

1 tbsp butter

1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup grated parmesan

Salt and pepper

1.)  Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.  Pour the orzo in, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes

2.)  After cooking for 5 minutes, drop in the asparagus pieces to cook them during the last 5 minutes of the orzo (you multi-tasker, you!)

3.)  Finish cooking the orzo and asparagus; drain and return to the pot (make sure you use a colander with small holes so the orzo doesn't go through!)

4.)  Add the parmesan and butter to the pasta and asparagus and start getting it melted, and then add the cream, making sure to get all three incorporated.

5.)  Taste, and add salt and pepper to your heart's content :)

6.)  LET'S EAT!

This actually warms up pretty well, but I prefer it freshly made :)  Enjoy!