Teddy Bears make fabulous artist’s models. They are so patient. They’ll sit there in the same pose for hours and never complain. In fact, they seem to enjoy it. They don’t need to fuss with their hair or makeup and seldom ask for a glass of water. They never make comments about how the painting isn’t a good likeness or their eyes are too close together.
Teddy Bears make wonderful family members. First of all, they don’t judge. They never leave their stuff strewn about the house. They’re good listeners and they always have plenty of time when you need to talk. They don’t talk behind your back. Or if they do…..they’re very discrete about it.
When others rush off to prior commitments just when you have a few minutes to sit down and watch The Good Wife on TV, Teddy Bears are always companionable and willing to cuddle up on the couch. And then there’s my husband. He’s the biggest Teddy Bear of them all.
The only problem is that after a while, even Teddy Bears yearn for the rowdy, hustle and bustle, of family life. The running in and out of the doors, the car and the dialogue at the fridge…..”isn’t there any orange juice?”
I was recently told to learn something new every day. “Do it on purpose”, I was told.
Depending on where and how you spend your days, some new idea could fall on you and if you had your eyes wide open and recognized it…..voila!
I was discussing the idea of keeping your eyes wide open with Izzy. She was bored and wanted to know “can we paint”? As we set up the paints and water bucket, we discussed the fact that there wasn’t enough time to be bored. There are way too many things to see and way to many exciting things to learn. Of course, then there’s always making your bed and picking up toys.
She set to work right away to illustrate this idea and I love it. She drew this on an iPad. “I was just looking for some fun”, she said.
Of course, if a new idea didn’t fall on you, where would you look for one?
Why would anyone in their right mind cut perfectly good fabric into a million pieces and then sew them back together again. Think of the waste! Our pioneer foremothers would probably roll over in their graves at the thought.
Well, that was downright rude, I realize. I’ve recently been instagraming with Luke Haynes. He is an amazing artist and quilter. I’ve enjoyed Joe Cunningham’s articles and quilts in magazines for years. Ricky Tims is an accomplished quilter and magazine owner, writes articles and…..his Dad is a quilter. Men are huge in quilting.
I’ve seen a lot of quilts in museums made from the usable parts from worn out pants, dresses and shirts…..even from military uniforms made of wool. Some are beautiful works of art and others are obviously inventions of necessity. Some are sewn by machine and others are sewn by hand. The stories that accompany many of these quilts are fascinating.
I was inspired by several magazine articles about Anna Williams. She lives in Baton Rouge. She and her quilter friends have developed their own art in the form of scrap quilts. When I read about how they sewed strips of fabric together and then took their scissors and cut through them…..it seemed so reckless, I just had to try it. What freedom! No worries about matching seams or corners. No worries about planning out the whole quilt before construction begins. Just the adventure of seeing how the whole thing will evolve.
The two pictures are small sections of the larger quilt.
If you’re a quilter with a ton of scraps, this is a great way to make use of them. It made me feel so thrifty!
I love polka dots. They always draw the eye. These were starlings…..hundreds of them.
It was such a moody, grey, January day. The clouds kept thickening. I thought it was going to snow. Then they thinned out and looked stretchy like maybe the sun would peek through any moment.
But an amazing thing brightened the day. Suddenly hundreds of starlings swooped down near the trees, but it was a fake out…..they veered to the side, made circle on a 45 degree angle and then slid deftly onto the branches. The first time they did it, I thought it might be some kind of aberration. I called out “come look at this…..hurry”. But, then, as if for a curtain call, they all took to the air again, flew a circle over our neighborhood and repeated the same maneuver as if it were choreographed.
There were so many on a branch that their weight forced it down, then they softly bounced up and down again. There should have been music to accompany that performance. We all stood there mesmerized for 10…..maybe 15 minutes until they made their exit en masse.
Her Majesty just crafted a performance piece in my backyard. Art in motion. I love polka dots! I love Mother Nature!
It had been my habit, when I received a thank you note, to put it in the cookbook I was reading as a bookmark and there it would stay. Well, yes, I read cookbooks like novels. I figure the author has a unique philosophy he/she wants to share and a story about the restaurant, the education, the culture or the mentor that inspired the book. I want to know this story.
This morning while looking for a recipe, I opened a cookbook and there was a note. In fact, there were four notes in that book. I reread each one. They brought back so many memories: two new babies, moving into a new house, and a birthday gift. It’s fun to run into these notes occasionally and reminisce.
And right then, an aha moment: It’s been ??? how many years since I received an actual physical, paper, thank you note? In the three or four year range anyway. Thank you notes and letters have gradually faded from consciousness. Today we email and text.
When was the last time you bundled your emails and texts with a red satin ribbon and carefully placed them in a special box stored on the top shelf of your closet? When was the last time you stopped by a neighbor’s unannounced and spent the afternoon visiting? I remember my Mother lamenting about the disappearance of meat markets as the supermarkets came on the scene. Change. Day to day things seem the same…..but look back over just the past year and yikes! so much has changed.
Today we share news on facebook and twitter. Yes, everything is always in flux…..ebbing and flowing. The average American moves every five years. Our neighborhoods are expanding to include the whole continent. We have friends all over the world. This is an exciting time to be alive.
Socrates is quoted: “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new”. So…..I’m not going to throw out those thank you notes. I’ll still enjoy running into them at odd moments and having them trigger memories. But…..I am going to enjoy blogging, facebook, twitter, etc. and try to remember to express my gratitude more.
Every cook should have a few special go-to recipes. For me, that means recipes that I know so well that a quick look at the ingredients and instructions is enough of a refresher to get me started. I might need another glance during the process. But Practice Makes Automatic!
This beef stew recipe is so good, after making it a few times, it will be one of your go-to recipes too.
Utah is cold in January. Roasts, chilies and stews are such flavorful comfort foods in the cold weather that I make them a lot. This stew is my adaptation…..sort of a combination of Michael Symon’s and Annemarie Huste’s (chef to Jacqueline Kennedy’s household).
Beef Stew
3 lbs. beef chuck
salt and pepper
flour
rendered bacon fat or olive oil
1/2 lb. thick sliced bacon
2 red onions, medium chop
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, minced
3 celery ribs and leaves, 1/2″ pieces
6 carrots, 1/2″ chop
3/4 lb. cremini mushrooms, quartered
4 large potatoes, 1/2″ cubes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2-12 0z. bottles lager
2-8 oz. cans beef bullion
Cut beef into 1×1-1/2pieces. Season pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Brown them in a Dutch oven in batches. Put into hot fat (I prefer rendered bacon fat) so they’re not touching in the pan. As they brown, turn them to brown on all sides, then remove them to a dish, until they’ re all done. Put them back in the Dutch oven, add bacon, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, lager and bullion, thyme and rosemary plus a good tsp of salt and couple of dashes of pepper. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any tasty bits. If you have fresh herbs, double the amount. Simmer 2 to 2-1/2 hours or til tender.
I like Wasatch Brewerys’ 1st Amendment Lager. They’re a local brewery in Park City, Utah You’ve probably got a local brewery near you. Search it out. I’m convinced buying local is the way to go whether it’s beef, chicken, veggies or beer. Did you chuckle? I did!
For a nice variation, add a jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, chopped, a sprinkle of mexican oregano, a heaping teaspoon of cumin and a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped…..or parsley.
If you’re looking for a change from ribs and dips for Super Bowl fare or a great savory dish to go along with them, serve this Go-To Beef Stew. Everyone will love you!
If you almost always have a book with you, you probably treasure a good bookmark. They can be a really enjoyable part of your whole reading experience.
I started making bookmarks as gifts. I wanted to share my favorite quotes. Most of the short quotes I love become mantras, well, short-term mantras. I repeat them over and over because they seem to apply to every situation in my life.
For example: ” You only see what you’re looking for and you only look for what you know.”” It’s amazing to me how many ways that applies to every facet of my life. Then, I get a new one. Recently, it’s: “It takes ten times longer to put yourself together than it does to fall apart.”
One of my long time mantras is “Stand on your own two feet” akin to Napoleon Hill’s admonition, “Do your own thinking on all occasions. The fact that the human beings are given complete control over nothing save the power to think their own thoughts is laden with significance.” A little too long to be one of my mantras. But I love reading it often because it’s on one of my bookmarks.
I am typically into DIY projects. The first time I read Napoleon Hill’s words: “It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project”, I laughed out loud. I couldn’t help myself. It’s so obvious when you think about it.
Consider the possibilities. Make your own bookmarks and share them with me. I need some thought provoking new ideas.
I’m a book collector. Every room in my house has a bookcase with no more room on the shelves.
Book collector sounds serious. It’s not like that. I’m not talking first editions, just areas of interest. The books I’m reading are stacked on end tables, night stands and desks. The ones I love after reading go on a shelf. The ones I don’t go to the Salvation Army or Amazon for resale.
I can look at my books and recreate my life. When my kids were babies, I was into parenting and health books, cake decorating and gingerbread house making. Cookbooks are a huge section. They include my idols: Paul Bocuse, Julia Child, Wolfgang Puck, Michael Pollan, and Jacques Pepin.
The art and quilting section, the religion and alchemy section and the novel section have all become a reference library. They’ve passed their active studying phase and are now waiting for the occasional use. Then, there are the “how tos”. How to make wine, cheese, kefir, yogurt, sour dough and canning are subjects everyone is passionate about. Right?
In the past, if I had a question, I went to the shelves. Today, I google. It’s so immediate. So the question: why keep all the books? The last time we moved, I got rid of stacks of books including two sets of encyclopedias. It’s not like I’m not trying to thin the herd.
The thing is that I use them. I love holding them in my hands, turning the pages, even smelling them. I love paper. I love ink. I love the fact that like anything you’re passionate about, you can lose yourself in a book. Your imagination is sparked by reading a book. Your life is enriched just by reading a book.
“Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled “This could change your life.”–Helen Exley
Really? Weren’t you alive and eating in the 50’s and 60’s? There was green jello with fruit cocktail…..and…..orange jello with grated carrots and canned pineapple. And toppings. We’re talking whipped cream, cream cheese and marshmallows.
Well, this cherry jello salad came from my Grandma Orabell. She got it from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. My kids grew up with it. They requested it for holidays and birthdays, pretty much anytime I asked “what shall we have for dinner?” We just had it for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas and New Year’s too.
I’m going to share the recipe with you. Keep an open mind. It’s worth trying. But, don’t make fun because it is delicious first of all and because it embodies a lot of nostalgia and tender memories of my Grandma.
CHERRY SALAD SUPREME
1 3-oz. pkg. raspberry jello
1 21-oz. can cherry pie filling
1 3-oz. pkg. lemon jello
1 3-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 8 3/4-oz. can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup small marshmallows
Dissolve raspberry jello in 1 cup boiling water and stir in cherry
pie filling. Turn into 9X9X2″ baking dish. Chill til partially set.
Dissolve lemon jello in 1 cup boiling water. Set aside. In a separate
bowl, beat together the cream cheese and mayonnaise. Gradually
add lemon jello and stir in undrained pineapple. Whip cream and
fold into lemon mixture with marshmallows. Spread on cherry
layer. Chill til set.
I usually double the recipe and put it in a 9X13X2″ baking dish because there will be no leftovers otherwise. The leftovers will not last long either. Midnight refrigerator raiders take care of them.
My grandma didn’t have a dining room. The table was in the kitchen and was a bright, cheery, red, metal one. It was the place to be. As a kid, I remember my Grandpa sitting at that table drinking coffee in the morning or after work having a beer and cigarette. Grandma kept a ceramic “Aunt Jemima” with a red and white checked apron in the center of the table my whole childhood. Years later, I gave Grandma a white ceramic chicken covered casserole that she put on that table. After she died, it made its way back to me. I’ll always treasure it because she did!
She agreed to teach me how to make chili. I loved her chili. I was 17 and living in the dorm at college. I walked a couple of miles to the grocery store and then to her house. I can remember coming through the alley and through her back gate and then through the red rose covered arbor to her kitchen door.
She told me to bring hamburger and catsup. I misunderstood and brought four big bottles of catsup. In fact! She hadn’t said catsup at all. What she had said was tomato sauce and canned tomatoes. She belly laughed when she saw them and then giggled off and on all afternoon when she looked at them stacked on her cabinet.
She had soaked the pinto beans overnight. She showed me how to brown the beef. We chopped the onion and red and green peppers. She showed me how to taste as the chili simmered and gradually add the spices and taste again.
I don’t remember her ever having a dishwasher. We always did the dishes after we ate meals, snacks or worked on cooking projects. Someone would wash and someone would dry. At some point in the ritual, she would dance around and snap a large white tea towel like a whip in the air (tea towel is 1950’s for dish towel) and chant:
Oh Captain, Captain, stop the ship!
I’ve got to get off and walk.
I feel so flippity, floppity, flip;
I’ve never seen New Yok!
(It had to be “Yok” or it wouldn’t rhyme with walk)
Rooster applique
Days of the Week embroidery
My Grandma Orabell taught me to bake in that kitchen. She taught me how to can peaches, tomatoes and cherries. She taught me how to make jelly and jam. She even taught me how to embroider in that kitchen. She said every young woman should have at least two sets of tea towels in her trousseau….and I did. I love my Grandma and I loved dancing around her kitchen with her.
As we pass through the seasons of our lives, it seems each one will always be…..but inevitably we move on to the next. You know how time slips through the cracks. I’ve shared my thoughts about that before.
