Feb
2013

One-Year Anniversary

categories: Watercolor

One-Year Anniversary

February 18th will mark the one-year anniversary of my blog. Since I began this blog to share my efforts on learning how to paint with watercolors, my daughter, Greta, thought it would be a good idea to repaint our first painting and share the results here. We’ve developed a lot of new skills in the past year–and I’ll share some lessons learned in an upcoming post–but we still have a lot to learn. Our plan is to repaint this little lion–which we intentionally kept simple since it was our first effort–each year on our anniversary to show our progression.

My blog has grown into much more than an art blog over the past year. I’ve also branched out and included posts about the things I love most–art, cooking, interior design, gardening, and spending time with my family and animal friends. Life is good, and I’m pleased to share the goodness with you. I’d like to thank my loyal followers and readers for all their encouragement and lovely comments over the past year and I hope to continue to share all the goodness life has to offer.


Feb
2013

The Red Truck Bakery in Warrenton, Virginia

categories: Lifestyle

Red Truck Bakery1

My mother and I visited the Red Truck Bakery in Warrenton, Virginia this morning.  I stopped in there a few weeks ago and bought some amazing rosemary focaccia topped with sea salt and other items and wanted to share the goodness with my mom.  Owner and baker-in-chief Brian Noyes has been churning out focaccia and other hearty loaves, seasonal pies, croissants and muffins, coffee cakes, savory quiches, and delicious soups and sandwiches in a renovated 1921 Esso filling station since 2009.

1954 Ford Truck from Tommy Hilfiger's Connecticut Farm1

The Red Truck Bakery was founded in a farmhouse in Orlean, Virginia, which is located approximately 50 miles west of Washington, D.C. Prior to opening his Warrenton shop, founder Brian Noyes delivered baked goods to local businesses in this 1954 red ford truck that originally came from designer Tommy Hilfiger’s Connecticut farm.

Citrus Cupcakes with Burnt Sugar Icing

Today I sampled one of these citrus cupcakes with burnt sugar icing, Alma Hackney’s rum cake, a meatloaf sandwich, and of course, the rosemary focaccia.

Red Truck Bakery Communal Table

The locals enjoy coffee, baked goods, and homemade sandwiches at this communal table which is made from beams from a local barn torched by General Philip Sheridan during his march through the Shenandoah Valley. What a charming spot to host a meeting.

Red Truck Bakery Counter

An antique toy truck decorated the counter.

Red Truck Bakery Radio Flyer

And red radio flyer wagons added additional charm.

Red Truck Bakery Sign

The Red Truck Bakery is located on 22 Waterloo Street in Old Town Warrenton, Virginia. Store hours are Monday through Friday from 6:30 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. The items sell out quickly, so if you’re planning a visit be sure to arrive early or call ahead and reserve the items you want.

Red Truck Bakery Cookie Jar

If you don’t live nearby you can still enjoy baked goods from the Red Truck Bakery; they ship nationwide. For information on online ordering visit the Red Truck Bakery website.


Feb
2013

Three Women and a Pineapple Upside Down Cake

categories: Lifestyle, Recipes

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This is a pineapple upside down cake fresh out of the oven. My mother made it as a treat today for me and my daughter.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Half Eaten

And this is the same cake 10 minutes later. Boy was it good; so good I have to share the recipe. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make old-fashioned pineapple upside down cake.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
9 whole pineapple slices
12 maraschino cherries
12 pecan halves

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Cream shortening; gradually beat in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat thoroughly. Add flour mixture alternately with the milk. Melt butter in the bottom of an oven-proof fry pan. Add brown sugar and spread evenly on the bottom of the pan; bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Arrange pineapple slices with a cherry in the center of each slice and additional cherries and pecans between the pineapple slices. Pour cake batter on top of the pineapple mixture. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes. Loosen sides of the cake from the pan with a knife. Invert onto a serving plate.


Feb
2013

Daisy Chain Fairy

categories: Watercolor

Daisy Chain Fairy

This little daisy chain fairy is a bit of a departure for me since I typically work with cool colors. I had to adjust the colors several times before I was satisfied with my color choices. I may rework her in pink tones instead of orange, but for now I’m calling her done. This painting is based on a tutorial in Linda Ravenscroft’s book, “How to Draw and Paint Fairies.”


Jan
2013

Turquoise and Coral Living Room Makeover

categories: Pets, Projects

Spring Living Room Makeover1

I was sorting through photos tonight and came across these shots I took of my living room last spring. I’ve always been a fan of turquoise but when I added coral into the mix, this room really came to life.

Spring Living Room Makeover1c

I couldn’t resist these pretty pillow covers by Caitlin Wilson. You can purchase them at Caitlin Wilson Textiles.

Spring Living Room Makeover3

The bookcases and end tables came from American Drew Furniture. The pretty aqua recliners and couch came from La-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery. Who knew La-Z-Boy recliners could look this good? They’ve come a long way since the sloppy, unattractive (but comfortable) chairs of my youth. The coral Suraya Archive floor cloth came from RugsUSA. The black and white curtains came from Pottery Barn, my absolute favorite place to shop.

Spring Living Room Makeover7

Little Stevie likes to help me accessorize the room during photo shoots.

Steve on the Coffee Table

Stevie can do things that my big dogs can’t do, like hang out on the coffee table. I keep shooing him off, but you can see how well that’s going….

Steve2

Steve on high alert. Is that a squirrel? Must. Get. Him.


Jan
2013

Skillet Steak and Corn

categories: Lifestyle, Recipes

Skillet Steak and Corn

When I’m short on time I often reach for this recipe for skillet steak and corn. It’s delicious, easy to prepare, and uses ingredients that are readily available in my pantry. I found the original recipe in Taste of Home magazine, but I’ve made a few changes over the years. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make skillet steak and corn:

1 lb. skirt steak cut into strips
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup beef broth
1/3 cup red wine (I used merlot)
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
Hot cooked rice

In a skillet brown the steak, onions, garlic, and thyme in oil. Add the beef broth and wine; simmer for 10 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated. Stir in tomatoes; cover and simmer for 15 minutes longer. Add corn; heat through. Serve over hot cooked rice.


Jan
2013

Mushroom Fairy in Watercolor

categories: Watercolor

Mushroom Fairy2

This little mushroom fairy proved to be more time consuming than I’d anticipated, but I’m pleased with the results. I’ve been working on this painting since last weekend and was beginning to think that I wouldn’t complete it before the week was done. This painting is based on a tutorial in Linda Ravenscroft’s book, “How to Draw and Paint Fairies.”

Here’s a close up view of her face.

Mushroom Fairy3


Jan
2013

Sweet and Sour Chicken and Fried Rice

categories: Recipes

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Fried Rice

I found these recipes for sweet and sour chicken and vegetable fried rice on Pinterest yesterday, and they looked so good that I had to try them. My daughter loves Chinese food, and the end results were so delicious that I scored lots of mom points with this dinner. I nearly asked her if I was “momtastic or momtacular.”

I tried two Pinterest recipes this weekend; one was a bomb so I was hesitant to try these recipes. I must say that the cooking process–dipping the chicken bits into cornstarch and then beaten egg and pan frying it was time consuming and created big messes on my counter tops, stove, and fingers. So some process improvement was in order. Halfway through the dipping process, while I was complaining about my messy counters and sticky fingers my daughter came up with a brilliant idea: just combine the cornstarch and eggs, stir it into a paste, and then pour it over the chicken. No more messy counters or hands, and it really sped up the preparation time.

This sweet and sour chicken is amazing but it’s loaded with sugar, salt, and fat. I reduced the garlic salt by half since there’s plenty of salt in the soy sauce, and didn’t miss it at all. I may substitute garlic powder for the garlic salt the next time I make this dish to further reduce the salt.

The vegetable fried rice was also delicious and a snap to prepare. No complaints here and no tweaking of the recipe was necessary. If you throw in some diced chicken, ham, or shrimp it would make a great main dish. With the process improvement now in place, this make-at-home sweet and sour chicken and vegetable fried rice are must tries. Here’s a close-up shot. Get the recipe here.

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Fried Rice2


Jan
2013

Moon Goddess in Watercolor

categories: Watercolor

Moon Goddess1

My daughter worked on this painting off and on over the last few weeks and finally finished it last night. She got a bit frustrated because she had to darken the background several times to create the glowing moon effect, but I think it was well worth the effort. I like the texture in the background and the way she incorporated the background colors–purple and blue–into the maiden’s hair.

This painting was based on a tutorial in Stephanie Pui-Mon Law’s book, “Dreamscapes Myth & Magic: Creating Legendary Creatures and Characters in Watercolor.”


Jan
2013

How to Make a McCafe Frappuccino at Home

categories: Lifestyle, Recipes

Make-at-Home McCafe Frappuccino1

In November I shared my recipe for how to make a McDonald’s McCafe iced mocha at home. Yesterday, my daughter asked me to duplicate her favorite McCafe drink–a mocha frappucinno. She really loves this frozen drink, and I wanted to duplicate it as closely as possible, so I bought a McCafe mocha frapp to use as a taste comparison and got to work. It only took me one attempt, plus a few adjustments, to come up a recipe that tastes very close to the original.

The same ingredients are used to make both McCafe drinks, but the proportions and preparation are different. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make a home-made McCafe mocha frappuccino:

Iced Mocha Ingredients

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Starbucks Via iced coffee mix
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 cup water
2 cups crushed ice
Canned whipped cream

Combine the Starbucks Via coffee mix, heavy whipping cream, chocolate syrup, water, and ice in a blender. Blend until slushy. Pour about one tablespoon of chocolate syrup in the bottom of the glass, add the frozen drink mixture, top with whipped cream, then drizzle with chocolate.

Now you can enjoy your favorite McCafe iced coffee treats from the comfort of your own home, plus it’s cheaper.

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