My Day…So Far!

December 11, 2012 by 7 Comments

These photos sum up what I have been up to today….

California White Chocolate Fudge with dried apricots and walnuts

California White Chocolate Fudge with dried apricots and walnuts

Snack Mix Squares

Snack Mix Squares

Molasses-Spice Crinkles

Molasses-Spice Crinkles – that is sparkling sugar on these cookies

Peanut butter sandwich on Ritz Crackers dipped in chocolate

Peanut butter sandwiches on Ritz crackers dipped in chocolate
Almond Strips - OMG these are the best...almond flavored shortbread drizzled with almonds and vanilla flavored icing

Almond Strips – OMG these are the best…almond flavored shortbread drizzled with almonds and vanilla flavored icing

Now that the shows are done, I can finish preparing for the holidays. All I have left to do, as far as candy and cookies are concerned, is peanut butter balls and dipped pretzels. Yea!

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Company’s Coming!

October 30, 2012 by 7 Comments

Actually, she’s already been here today.  When a special friend comes over I like to get out my nice linen napkins and do some mix-and-match with depression glass pieces along with hand painted dishes. The handled glass cups were the perfect size to serve a cup of potato mushroom soup. I also fixed curried chicken salad with grapes and pecans. My guest brought homemade pitas that were heated in the oven until crispy as a cracker. Dessert was Dove dark chocolates.

It was a lovely day as we worked in the garage with an indigo vat.  Photos of that coming later.

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Basil…

October 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Look what happens when you turn your back on it and don’t cut it all summer.  I have cut a bunch of it now because it was going crazy…

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Just Stuff

February 13, 2012 by 7 Comments

I have been pretty busy since the last time I blogged here.  January always brings with it the really well intentioned plan that I will actually get my tax information together early for a change…NOT.  Here it is February 13 and it hasn’t happened yet.  And now I’m in the throes of…wait for it…spring cleaning (yeh, I know it’s early, but…) and getting ready for two shows in a couple of weeks.  So there you have it…I do not have time to pull those tax records together.

I have been…pulling down my solo show on Jan. 29, then determining which pieces would go into a juried show (if I get in).  All that paperwork has to be turned in.  The Illinois Artisan shop always has a big quilt event during the Paducah quilt show…sometimes I get stuff in to them and sometimes I don’t. This year I filled out their paperwork and decided what will go there, along with a couple of scarves for their wearable exhibit.  There has been online work too getting photos and info onto websites of groups I belong to.  Check out missourifiberartists.com.  I recently got some of my work catalogued on that site.

Fading Glory, deconstructed screen printing, photo transfer

I did some work with rusting…I layered a few layers of cloth on both sides of a rusted piece of metal and wet it with vinegar.  It doesn’t take long to get an image.

I am going to start working on small pieces of art and these will be part of a series.

Someone has been giving us fresh potatoes and I am having a hard time keeping up with using them.  I found a recipe for Hasselback potatoes online and I thought they looked pretty yummy.

Hasselback potatoes before cooking...

They are sliced not quite all the way through, sliced garlic clove is inserted between the slices, then add some salt and butter and drizzle olive oil over the top.  Bake in the oven.  I can think of some other herbs that would be good on them too.

after cooking....yum!

Birthday party to attend this past weekend and a fund raiser on Sunday afternoon, I was privileged to be invited to set up a small table to sell items.

Tomorrow I am shampooing the carpet. ;=)

Filed Under: Art Exhibits, food, rust dyeing

Peanut Butter and Chocolate

December 29, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Before the holidays, someone was telling me about a delicious treat that was easy to make:  take two Ritz crackers and make a peanut butter sandwich with them, then dip and coat in chocolate.  I have been making them and I think they are now our new favorite.

From this…

…to this…

Try them…you WILL like them!

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Curry

December 25, 2010 by 1 Comment

I love curry powder…actually I love lemon curry powder the best.  It has a little lighter taste than regular curry.  I buy it at the Green Earth health food store when I get to Edwardsville.  I don’t know where else to buy it, but you can get it in the bulk section there.  I don’t use it in a lot of things, but when I want  it, I like having it on hand.  I was filling a small spice jar with it the other day and decided the color was so yummy I had to take a photo.

Now, compare that with this piece of cloth dyed with Curry dye.  Are they close to the same color?  It’s yummy too.  There is also Amethyst on this cloth.  I bought the Curry dye powder this year and now it’s at the top of my favorite list.

I am going to have to do something awesome with this piece of cotton.  As for the lemon curry powder (the stuff you can eat), try it in your chicken salad the next time you make it, along with dried cranberries or fresh grapes and slivered almonds. It makes a delicious salad.

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Photo of The Week

August 4, 2010 by 2 Comments

We’ve been enjoying the cherries!

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Lunch

June 30, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Last Saturday I had to deliver some work for jurying for a show in Evansville.  After that I met up with my friend Julia.  We had planned to try making our own silk screens using stretcher bars and some sheer fabrics. Julia had already gathered everything together so that we could do this project.

But first we had to eat lunch.  She made popovers and I prepared a salad with romaine, grilled chicken, dried cranberries, pecans, onions, feta cheese,  and a sweet balsamic vinegar dressing.  yumm.

We did get the screens made too.  And now this week I am trying mine out.

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Today…

February 1, 2010 by 3 Comments

I had to go to town today to pick up election supplies.  I am an election judge and will be serving Illinois voters tomorrow all day for the primary elections in.  It’s a long day, but worth it being part of the process and seeing how it works.

I made a pot of chili for tomorrow.  This recipe is from the CrockPot Blog that I joined on FB.  It’s excellent with cumin, garlic, chili powder, oregano, and a bit of red pepper.  The weather has warmed up here to about 35 degrees and the snow is melting…all that wonderful 3-5 inches we got this past weekend.  Now I have to get some handwork ready to take with me…it will be a long day and probably slow since it is a primary, so to stay awake, I must have something to do and reading makes me sleepy!

To everyone living in Illinois:

Vote February 2

It’s a privilege AND a duty.

I guess the only picture I have for today is FOOD!

Filed Under: elections '10, food Tagged With: , ,

Ham And Bean Soup

January 6, 2010 by Leave a Comment

This is my favorite bean soup recipe.  It has turnips (substituted for the parsnips the recipe calls for), onions, carrots, great northern beans, garlic and some hot pepper. I put a ham bone in it as well as some chunked ham.  Tomorrow I will fix some cornbread to go with it…too tired tonight.

Yum, we like it.

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