It is very significant of what happened to my retirement money yesterday....damn tomato worms!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
I missed one
I have been on the hunt for tomato worms and there are many squished ones in the garden but....
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
In the Garden
Today my doggie, Sophie, found a grasshopper in the garden. She brought it to her landing on the staircase and started to play. The only reason that I could sketch this little fellow was that in the playing the grasshopper lost its back "hopping" legs. I think she also bent his antennae. Yes, another tomato worm. Yes, he is squished too.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tommy Trojan
Fight on USC.!!!!!.This is my team. Well you can't win them all. Last night was a disaster but you guys can pull it together and still have a great season. We are behind you
Thursday, September 25, 2008
October Sunset
Sunset color quilt. The pattern in this quilt is a log cabin. The blocks were configured so that all the blocks on the outside were "orange" and the blocks in the middle all pink. I loved the results so much I made 2. Three years ago in October my brother died, taking his own life at age 58. I will never understand this but I do know that I miss him. He was a great brother and a great friend to share my childhood with. I was in shock when I got the news of his death and worked frantically for 4 days designing, cutting, piecing and finishing this quilt. It was great therapy.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Pomegranates, 1st of the season
I found these at the Farmers' market last weekend. The are small and not so dark red but I am happy to have them so early in the season. I have a pomegranate tree in my orchard but after 7 years still no fruit.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tomato Harvest
What beautiful gifts from the garden these are. Each has its own flavor and of course each has a vibrant color. The red ones came from my garden (lucky I found the worm in time). The rest came from a gorgeous farm in Carlsbad. I collected these so that I could make a yummy roasted tomato sauce. I hope you will try it.
Roasted Tomato Sauce:
Makes 3-3 1/2 cups
3 pounds fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 large red onion, sliced
1/2 cup whole fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Place all the ingredients in a roasting pan & toss to combine. Transfer to the oven & cook until the tomato skins are charred & sauce has begun to come together, about 1 hour. Coarsely chop the tomatoes & onion, taking care to scrape up pan juices.
Serve immediately, or cover & refrigerate up to 3 days.
I do not know the original source of this recipe.
Roasted Tomato Sauce:
Makes 3-3 1/2 cups
3 pounds fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 large red onion, sliced
1/2 cup whole fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Place all the ingredients in a roasting pan & toss to combine. Transfer to the oven & cook until the tomato skins are charred & sauce has begun to come together, about 1 hour. Coarsely chop the tomatoes & onion, taking care to scrape up pan juices.
Serve immediately, or cover & refrigerate up to 3 days.
I do not know the original source of this recipe.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Paper Beads
Paper beads made from rolling paper over a straw and secured with gel medium (fancy word for glue that dries clear) I will embellish them and then "enamel" them before making a necklace or adding them to other art projects.
taken from an article in Cloth, Paper Scissors (August 2007) by Kelli Perkins. Visit her blog:
http://ephemeralalchemy.blogspot.com/search/label/paper%20beads
Pumpkins on the Porch
This is the autumnal equinox. I hate to see summer go although I am sure we will have many more warm days. The pumpkins will be harvested and scattered around households. The leaves will turn and fall to the ground. Even in Southern California
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Kate and her popsicle
Kate and Ella came by for a little visit today. We made paper beads and had popsicles. Precious little girls
Birdsnest, USA
During the Olympics in China I was fascinated by the stadium nicknamed "The Birdsnest". I never did attempt to sketch it but wouldn't that be time consuming? Here is my version of the birdsnest, USA
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Camouflaged
If you look closely enough you will usually find one of these little fellows climbing and munching away on your tomato bushes. They are soooo ugly and beautifully marked at the same time. I assure you he is now squished.
Friday, September 19, 2008
1979 project
When my children were very young (3 & 5) one year's Christmas project was velvet gingerbread men. I spent many evenings hand stitching and embellishing gingerbread men for the tree. I think I still have 3 of them but I think this year I will search out some good brown fabric and add to the family tree.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Lean on Me
This pair of eggplant, now that I have sketched them, remind me of 2 star actors taking center stage. I bought them each for $1 last Sunday at the Farmers' market. They are "Black Beauty"s. They will be even better in eggplant parmesean.
Pincushion
My daughter gave me this lovely crushed velvet pincushion when she was a student in Atlanta. It carries remnants of threads and ribbons I have used on my sewing projects. I love the colors and the pumpkin.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sept 14, a cup of tea
When I was a young girl my grandmother would give her grandaughters teacups and silver spoons on special occasions. This set was used for the first time today. It was a stressful weekend. You never know when a cup of tea will be a perfect respite.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
lemon curd cake
Whitney's birthday cake!
Lemon curd cake from Martha Stewart's BAKING HANDBOOK (p. 153, lemon curd= P.390. lemon swiss meringue buttercream frosting p 386
It will take 20 eggs, 2 lbs of butter, 9 lemons and most of the day. It was yummy!
Lemon curd cake from Martha Stewart's BAKING HANDBOOK (p. 153, lemon curd= P.390. lemon swiss meringue buttercream frosting p 386
It will take 20 eggs, 2 lbs of butter, 9 lemons and most of the day. It was yummy!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
pickled red onions
pickled red onions, recipe taken from Bon Appetit. Try them on any Mexican dish or on a sandwich:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/PICKLED-RED-ONIONS-238507
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/PICKLED-RED-ONIONS-238507
Happy Birthday, Whitney
My amazing daughter, Whitney, is having a birthday this week. I hope she enjoys her birthday and her cupcakes.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Figs, 9:7
I love these Mission Figs. My grandmother had a huge fig tree on her property that we kids would climb and pick the fruit in exchange for yummy sweet sugared dried figs about 4 hours later. Sweet & tasty memories. I wonder if the fig tree is still there?
Saturday, September 6, 2008
September 7, trio
trio,
The quince came from my tree, the duck pear from the Farmers' market, the lemon from Trader Joe's I love these colors
The quince came from my tree, the duck pear from the Farmers' market, the lemon from Trader Joe's I love these colors
Corn Salad, 9:6
I was in Seattle last weekend. Brad & Amber made a lovely fresh corn salad with goat cheese. I wanted to make it today but I had to sketch it first. By the time I went to the Farmers' market to get the fresh corn, then laid out all this stuff to sketch, it was too late for dinner. I had bread and goat cheese. Maybe tomorrow it will be salad.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Quince,9:5
Quince from my orchard. I planted this tree 5 years ago. It had a beautiful blossom and leaf. Now that I have fruit, I am not sure what to do with it. At any rate I LOVE their color.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
cupcake card
Happy Birthday, Amber. It's my beautiful daughter-in-law's birthday and I thought a multiple of cupcakes would make a yummy card. Not one single calorie in them
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
blueberry peach crisp
blueberry peach crisp
Great blueberry dessert...just ask Ryan (he is a big fan of my desserts) Inspired and based on Ina Garten's crisp dessert
and then modified
Monday, September 1, 2008
Ready for Stroganoff
Summer seems to be winding down leaving very little color to the day. These mushrooms seemed to reflect my mood. Soon I will slice them, sautee them and throw some ingredients on them to make a great sauce. At any rate mushrooms are delicious and beautiful even though they are brown.
Dinner was fabulous. Try Williams-Sonoma's recipe for Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff and add roasted chicken breast at the end:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/recipedetail.cfm?objectid=75ACE9B3%2DE9B3%2DB953%2DA71D0E76DDD320FB
Reina & #8
Happy Birthday, Reina! She was beautifully dressed; opened her gifts with great finesse, ate her cake on cue and was the perfect little hostess. What a great day
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