Sep
2012

Weekend Chef: Apple Pie Oatmeal

categories: Recipes

I bought these beautiful red and golden delicious apples yesterday at the farmer’s market and searched the internet for some apple recipes to mark the start of the fall season. I came across Six Variations on the All-American Apple Pie on Babble.com and decided to try the apple pie oatmeal for breakfast this morning. Boy was it good; sorry you missed it, mom. Here’s the recipe (I changed it slightly to suit my tastes, and I’ve noted the changes below).

Ingredients:

1/2 apple, cored, and chopped into bite-sized pieces (I used a whole apple and peeled it first)
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups water (I used 2 1/2 cups of water since I used a whole apple)
I added a dash of salt in the water

Toppings:

Milk (I used cream I bought from a local dairy farmer)
Brown sugar
I added home-made granola I bought at the farmer’s market

Combine water, salt, raisins, and apples in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat until boiling. Stir in oats. Cook until the oats and apples are tender (about 8-10 minutes). Spoon into bowls. Top with brown sugar, cream, and granola. Enjoy!

This recipe was so easy and delicious. It took me about 10 minutes to make from start to finish. Easy, quick, and delicious–that makes this recipe a keeper in my book. Doesn’t this look fabulous?


Sep
2012

Maigold Roses Complete

categories: Watercolor

I just completed this painting a few minutes ago and was so pleased with the results that I had to post it right away. I darkened the background a bit behind the leaves on the right-hand side to increase the contrast, I added veins to the leaves using a negative painting technique, and added veining to the rose petals using a very diluted brilliant red violet, though next time I would dilute it even further because I think the lines should be even paler than what’s shown here.

As I mentioned previously, this painting was based on a tutorial from Janet Whittle’s book, “Roses in Watercolour.” Since Ms. Whittle stressed that using the right type of paper was very important to achieving this type of background wash and I didn’t have the paper she recommended on hand (Arches 140 lb. Not paper), I practiced her wash technique on the four types of paper I had on hand–Fabriano Artistico Hot Pressed, Fabriano Artistico Cold Pressed, Canson Aquarelle/Acuarela Cold Pressed, and Aquarelle Arches Cold Pressed. It was a worthwhile experiment because the results varied widely with each type of paper, and the Aquarelle Arches Cold Pressed 140-lb. paper was the hands-down winner.

My palette consisted of Winsor Newton opera rose, aureolin, quinacridone gold, Winsor red, indanthrene blue, Winsor violet, and perylene maroon as well as Schmincke brilliant blue violet, May green, helio green, and brilliant red violet.

I will definitely be using this wash technique in the future as well as some of the other techniques I learned from this book. I highly recommend it.


Sep
2012

Maigold Roses

categories: Watercolor

I worked on these Maigold roses for several hours again today and still didn’t finish the painting. I got close, but lost my light and had to stop for the night. I still have a few leaves to finish, some shadows to refine, some edges to clean up, and I need to add faint veining in the petals. For a tutorial on how to create a similar colorful background, pick up a copy of Janet Whittle’s book, “Watercolor Roses.”


Sep
2012

Five-Minute Chef–Simple Caprese Salad

categories: Recipes

Need something quick and delicious for dinner? This simple caprese salad takes five minutes to prepare. Serve it with some rustic bread and a glass of peach iced tea (my favorite) and you’ll have a fabulous, healthy meal in the blink of an eye. Here’s what you need to prepare this salad:

Simple Caprese Salad

2-3 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced (I bought mine at the farmer’s market)
Fresh basil, chopped
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt

Place several tomatoes on each plate, top with slices of fresh mozzarella and chopped basil. Combine olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle on top of salad. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. That’s it. So simple and delicious.


Sep
2012

Weekend Chef: Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad

categories: Recipes

I pulled this recipe for Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad from the September 2011 issue of Southern Living Magazine and placed it in my recipe folder a year ago. It seemed like an odd combination of ingredients and I wasn’t sure that I’d like it, but I was curious so in my folder it went.

I remember thinking at the time that this recipe would either be great or it would be awful, and today I put it to the test. It was fabulous. From the tangy sweet and sour dressing to the crunchy broccoli,  pecans, and red onion; smoky bacon, cool crisp grapes, and chewy bow tie pasta this salad has everything a salad lover craves and more–it’s a regular party in your mouth. I made a couple of  revisions to the recipe to suit my taste and reduce the preparation time and I’ve noted them below. I hope you enjoy this pasta salad as much as my family did.

Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad

1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted (I didn’t bother to toast them)
1 16-oz. box bow-tie pasta (cooked al dente)
1 lb. fresh broccoli
1 cup mayonnaise (I used Duke’s mayonnaise)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (I used a jar of Hormel real bacon pieces)

Prepare pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, separating the florets into small pieces with a paring knife. Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar in a large bowl, add broccoli florets, pasta, diced onions, grapes, bacon, and pecans. Cover and chill for 3 hours (or eat it immediately like I did because it’s so darn good and I couldn’t wait). Give this refreshing salad a try and let me know what you think.


Aug
2012

Where Magic Happens

categories: Watercolor

Sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone to make magic happen. Today I left my comfort zone, slapped a variety of colors of paint on my paper, tilted the paper to encourage the colors to run together, and came up with this wildly intense background.

Those are roses I’ve sketched (the shiny areas are masking fluid). Can I take a traditional subject like roses and combine them with this wild background and come up with something magical? Only time will tell….


Aug
2012

Puppy Antics

categories: Pets

This is Dexter, our Pomeranian/Dachshund mix puppy. Look at that sweet, innocent face. What lies behind such cuteness, such pure innocence?

A little monster! That WAS a new magazine I just received in the mail today but failed to keep out of his reach.

Look at that mess! And what does a little monster do when he’s caught in the act?

He gives me a little wink and a smile. So what did I do? Why, I ripped the remaining pages out of my magazine, crinkled them into little balls, and tossed them to him for a game of fetch. Who am I to ruin his fun? Cost of an hour’s fun: about $4.00. Playtime spent with my puppy: priceless.

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