my messy room

Madelaine in watercolor

2012-01-30T08:53:00.001-08:00

Madelaine, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Oh my it has been a long time since I picked up my pen and watercolor. Plus I have been intimidated by sketching my chickens. They are hard to capture. This is Madelaine. She is a 9 months old Buff Orpington chicken that lives with her "sisters" in my back yard urban farm. Reina named her. The funny thing about Madelaine is that she talks to me. Every time I walk through a door whether it be coming home from work through the garage door or in the day when I walk through the French doors to the backyard......she greets me with a gurggly shreak. "Good morning, Madelaine!

Snow sculpture competition in Breckenridge

2012-01-28T20:52:00.001-08:00

Snow sculpture, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

The international snow sculpting competition is going on in Breckenridge...about an hour and a half up the mountains and we decided to check it out today. Thirteen entrants started with a twelve foot cube of snow (snow is opaque, ice is clear) and had three days to create their sculpture. They were all finished today with judging tomorrow.
Breckenridge is an old gold mining town. Today it is a cute little ski town in the winter with lots of summer things to do too. This was my first visit.
The sculptures were amazing.

2012-01-28T20:44:00.003-08:00

Snow sculpture, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2012-01-28T20:44:00.001-08:00

girls, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2012-01-28T20:43:00.001-08:00

Kate, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2012-01-28T20:42:00.001-08:00

Ella and Ryan, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Gabriela turns "2"

2012-01-20T12:41:00.001-08:00

Gabriela and birthday cheesecake, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Last weekend was a trip up to Seattle to celebrate Gabriela's 2nd birthday. I got out my raingear and left my snow boots at home but that was a mistake. This trip we needed snow gear as I'm sure all has heard on the weather news.
Amber made a delicious cheesecake topped with blueberries for the cake. It was delicious! Then on Monday before the biggest part of the storm we sneaked a trip to the gymnastics studio. Reina is really very good on the trampoline (too far for pics) and balance beam. Gabriela just loves everything....including blueberries! Happy Birthday, little one

2012-01-20T12:37:00.001-08:00

Cheesecake with blueberries, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2012-01-20T12:36:00.007-08:00

Seattle-20120116-00293, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2012-01-20T12:36:00.005-08:00

Gabriela at gymnastics, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2012-01-20T12:36:00.003-08:00

Gabriela, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2012-01-20T12:36:00.001-08:00

Reina in the Seattle snow, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2012-01-20T12:35:00.003-08:00

Gabriela, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2012-01-20T12:35:00.001-08:00

Victor and Reina, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

National Western Stock Show Denver

2012-01-11T20:50:00.001-08:00

Red Angus showing, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

The National Stock Show is in town. First there is the County Fair, then the State Fair, followed by the regional and now the granddaddy The National Western Stock Show this time each year in Denver. It's big. last Thursday opened with a parade in downtown Denver of steer Brahmas Clydesdales and cowgirl queens. Then 2 weeks of competition and rodeo events. Monday I went for the first time. We entered the show by walking "over" the stockyards. Beautiful varieties of steer--showered , coiffed and ready to compete. We watched the judging of the red angus and wandered around until we found my favorite: the chickens and the children farm. Yee Haw! or what we used to say, "Shit Howdy"

stockyard

2012-01-11T20:42:00.001-08:00

Untitled, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2012-01-11T20:41:00.003-08:00

stockyard, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Kate and the kids

2012-01-11T20:41:00.001-08:00

Kate and the kids, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Kate and the kids. Shall we add a couple to our own farm?

HAPPY 2012! soup, salad and bread

2012-01-09T09:14:00.001-08:00

pumpkin soup, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

It's Sunday, it's January and it's cold outside so what's to do? I'll spend the day in the kitchen and then watch the Bronco game.
The soup is a winter squash variation of butternut squash. The salad is a fresh and crunchy coleslaw and the bread is a variation of Amy's bakery (NYC) famous Semolina bread with fennel and golden raisins.
These recipes all have a common threads: lots of spices that overlap: fennel, chili, sage and pumpkin seeds. And the pumpkin, cabbage and sage all came from my garden. Did I mention it is January?
The recipes are just slight variations from Paula Deen and Michael Chiarello. The bread recipe is a basic bread with 2 Tbs fennel seed and 3/4 cup green raisins added before the final rise.
Happy New Year

sweet and spicy coleslaw

2012-01-09T09:06:00.001-08:00

sweet and spicy coleslaw, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Semolina with golden raisins and fennel bread

2012-01-09T09:05:00.001-08:00

fennel and green raisin bread, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2012-01-09T09:04:00.001-08:00

cabbage, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

a very young cabbage...photo taken in July......cabbage head which weighed 4 lbs at harvest in late October.

sweet and spicy coleslaw

2012-01-09T09:03:00.001-08:00

sweet and spicy coleslaw, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

The very last of my cabbage patch. I am amazed that it was still fresh and tasty. This is a yummy combination of sweet and spicy, fruit and vegetables using a recipe by Paula Deen that uses pepper jelly, apple cider vinegar and topped with pumpkin seeds. I hope you try it

More cooking with pumpkin

2012-01-09T08:46:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin, Galeux D'eysines Squash, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Thanks to a great harvest and a very cool cellar I still have about 6 pumpkins to change into something yummy to eat. So yesterday I searched for a new winter squash soup. I chose a recipe by Michael Chiarello. If you know his recipes you know that they are layered...many steps and lots of herbs and spices. First I made the toasted spice rub, rich with spices that include chili and cinnamon, then I roasted the squash with a syrup of spices, vinegar and fresh sage. Finally after pureeing the squash and adding it to the soup base it was ready to serve with Marscapone cheese a pumpkin seeds. The kitchen smelled fabulous all day and it made a great meal for football watching.. How 'bout them Broncos?
Bon Appetit!

pumpkin ready for the oven

2012-01-09T08:39:00.001-08:00

pumpkin ready for the oven, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

roasted glazed pumpkin

2012-01-09T08:38:00.003-08:00

roasted glazed pumpkin, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

roasted pumpkin puree

2012-01-09T08:38:00.001-08:00

roasted pumpkin puree, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

pumpkin soup

2012-01-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

pumpkin soup, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Christmas this year

2011-12-23T16:58:00.001-08:00

Paperwhites in Denver, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

A few of my favorite things:
paperwhites, cactus blooms in December, fresh snow, giraffes, the Denver skyline Corona del Mar or any beach, my chickens-their eggs- and their hen house, of course my beautiful grandchildren, my kids and their spouses, my puppy dog, delicious food from my garden, a day in the kitchen, a good football game (USC or the Broncos), a morning with my sketchbook, camera or watercolors, cashmere sweaters, shells and starfish, handmade quilts

Wishing all my friends and family their very favorite things this Christmas including love, joy and embracing the true meaning of Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ

2011-12-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

Poinsettia, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-12-23T16:40:00.002-08:00

Madelaine, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Christmas in Corona del Mar

2011-12-23T16:40:00.001-08:00

Christmas in Corona del Mar, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Christmas on Elm Street

2011-12-23T16:39:00.005-08:00

Christmas on Elm Street, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-12-23T16:39:00.003-08:00

Zoo view, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Denver skyline and the front range covered with snow

2011-12-23T16:39:00.001-08:00

zoo giraffe, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-12-23T16:38:00.003-08:00

Christmas hen house, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Christmas traditions

2011-12-23T16:23:00.001-08:00

Denise, Dana Strand, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Last weekend I flew back to California to bake cookies with my very good friend Sue. We have made cookies together for over 30 years until last year when found it impossible since we lived in different states. Neither of us survived very well.
Before a day of baking we walked on the beach. This time we took the Dana Strand path: 4 miles of ups, downs and on the sand....beautiful views.
Both baking and walking on the beach are traditional activities for me. We can add new ones but giving up old ones are not good for our health.
Enjoy your favorite traditions.

Footsteps in the sand, Dana Strand

2011-12-23T16:20:00.000-08:00

Footsteps in the sand, Dana Strand, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

A walk on the beach

2011-12-23T16:17:00.001-08:00

Dana Strand, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Checking out the snow

2011-12-06T19:07:00.001-08:00

Checking out the snow, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Denver has been blanketed by snow for the last 6 days with very cold temperatures....last night minus 6 deg. That is cold! Yes it is winter. My feathered girls love to go out into the big yard to look for bugs, seeds and any leafy greens that may be left but this week not so much....With the inside of their hen house toasty warmed by a heat lamp these two check out the chances of going out..........nope, not a chance.
I hope you all stay warm inside by the fire!

2011-12-06T19:04:00.001-08:00

Heavy snow, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

last of the 2011 harvest

2011-12-03T15:48:00.001-08:00

rainbow carrots, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

We have had about 14 inches of snow in the last 3 days in Denver so I'm pretty sure my garden is "done" for this year. I had a bountiful back yard this year and for that I am grateful. I will do somethings different next year but for now I am enjoying the last of my veggies.
On Thanksgiving day Kate and Ella helped me pick the root vegetables for our dinner. The carrots went into my white bean provencal, the beets became the main salad ingredient and the next weekend the baby leeks became a layer in the celery root-potato gratin.
What a rainbow of color and yummy vegetables!

beets

2011-12-03T15:43:00.003-08:00

beets, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-12-03T15:43:00.001-08:00

baby leeks, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Give Thanks

2011-11-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

What will you be doing today? I am guessing a little turkey and cranberry sauce will be on the menu.

My day will be the same:

It started with a little iPod, Touch, Pad, Mac

then a shower and make up with a little curl in my hair

followed by some time in the kitchen at the baking center with beaters to lick

most likely some artwork

after the big meal, I'll take a walk in the cold air to balance out the day

a bedtime story

and then a long nap with a smile on my face

Last weekend my Denver girls went to Seattle to visit my beautiful granddaughters there. We celebrated an early version of Thanksgiving and had the time of our lives. The cousins loved playing with each other.....lots of giggles, "Go Fish", walking adventures and some electronic fun.

Today will be like most of the rest of you....filled with fun, family, friends and the thankfulness of being together on a day of "rest" and reflection.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

studying the iPod, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-11-24T07:17:00.003-08:00

getting ready for the party, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-11-24T07:16:00.003-08:00

baking cookies, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-11-24T07:16:00.001-08:00

help with the beater, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-11-24T07:15:00.004-08:00

art work, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-11-24T07:15:00.003-08:00

a walk in the cold, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-11-24T07:14:00.000-08:00

bedtime stories, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

a little nap

2011-11-24T07:13:00.000-08:00

a little nap, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

What to do with your green tomatoes:

2011-11-14T16:22:00.001-08:00

green tomatoes, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

When the first winter storm was in the forecast I had plenty (more than 80 lbs) of unripened tomatoes. "Fry them" I heard. I tried fried green tomatoes years ago and even though everything fried tastes good it didn't even resemble a tomato in the end. So I asked every patient that sat in my chair if they were a gardener and if they answered "yes" my next question was "how do you ripen the green tomatoes?"
1. Wrap them in newspaper loosely in no more than 3 layers.
2. Place in a cardboard box and seal it up.
3. Store in a cool place.
4. Peek every 7-10 days
5. Cross your fingers.

2011-11-14T16:17:00.001-08:00

wrapped and ready to "send", originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

wrap the green tomatoes loosely in newspaper (dunnage) and close in a cardboard box. Store in a cool place.

2011-11-14T16:16:00.001-08:00

ripe after 10 days, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

after 10 days they are red, ripe and delicious

November pumpkins

2011-11-07T12:02:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin, Galeux D'eysines Squash, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

The pumpkin patch was good to me this year. The GD squirrels ate my neighbors' pumpkins but not mine. I harvested about 15 small to large size squash and am now trying to be creative with what I do with them.
These are strange looking pumpkins called Galeux D'Eysine. They are heirloom French pumpkins with gnarly skin that looks like peanuts or warts. The French named them "Galeux" which means embroidery....so embroidered pumkins from the provence of Eysine. They have thick orange meat that have been delicious in everything I have made: butter, bread and a fabulous pumpkin pie I will call:
Mile High pumpkin pie...with about a mile of meringue on top. I had to do something with all of the extra egg whites remaining from my ice creams and custards.
Pumpkins are so thematic for this time of year and lend themselves to decorating, sketching and painting and even a head for a doll.
What will you do with your pumpkins?

2011-11-07T11:54:00.001-08:00

pumpkin, Galeux D'eysines Squash, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Mile High pumpkin pie

2011-11-07T11:53:00.002-08:00

Mile High pumpkin pie, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-11-07T11:52:00.001-08:00

Pauline, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

watercolor

2011-11-07T11:50:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Bread, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-11-07T11:47:00.001-08:00

Pumpkins on the Porch, 3, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Pumpkins on the Porch in California

2011-11-07T11:46:00.001-08:00

thread sketched pumpkin, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

watercolor November orange

2011-11-07T11:45:00.001-08:00

winter storm, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

time to put Halloween away

Trick or treat

2011-10-29T15:25:00.001-07:00

Ella and I , witches, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Boo at the Zoo
Ella and I are pretty cool witches out to trick or treat at the Denver Zoo

Captain Hook

2011-10-29T15:24:00.001-07:00

Boo at the Zoo, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Mr. Smee and the crew of the Jolly Roger
Plus a cool green witch

No squirrels allowed

2011-10-16T10:46:00.001-07:00

no squirrels 1, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

OMG I hate squirrels. Even though I have no trees for them to hide or live in they make themselves welcome at any time. Fortunately Sophie keeps them well controlled when she is on watch in the back yard but yesterday I found one in the chicken coup eating the girls' food. That is enough! So I built a Scare Squirrel to help ward them off.

Scaresquirrel

2011-10-16T10:43:00.003-07:00

Scaresquirrel, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

I hope this will work

2011-10-16T10:43:00.001-07:00

Scaresquirrel, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

up close you can see our Ms Scare has fabric for hair and candy corn buttons for eyes

Journey of a pumpkin

2011-10-14T12:18:00.001-07:00

pumpkin, inside, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

At the end of May when the soil was finally warming up in the garden I planted a few pumpkin seeds in the corners where the plants could spread out and get plenty of sunshine. Last week I harvested the last of them so they wouldn't freeze in the cold night temps. Now what to do with all of these beauties (15 in all). Some of them will still be around for Halloween but a couple of them went into the oven to roast. Then pumpkin puree, main ingredient to pumpkin butter which then became the flavorful part of pumpkin gingersnap ice cream.

pumpkin after 3 months of sunshine

2011-10-14T12:13:00.001-07:00

Cinderella pumpkin, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

pumpkin puree

2011-10-14T12:12:00.003-07:00

pumpkin puree, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

to pumpkin gingersnap ice cream

2011-10-14T12:12:00.001-07:00

Recipe for:

Basic vanilla ice cream base:

Ice Cream Base:

1 cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream

Heat the milk in a sauce pan over medium-low heat.

Prepare an ice bath by setting a 2-quart bowl over a larger bowl partially filled with ice water.

Set a strainer over the smaller bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow in color and the sugar has dissolved. Gradually pour the warmed milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the same saucepan you used to warm the milk. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Strain the custard into the top bowl of the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Add the heavy cream and stir over the ice bath until cool. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly, preferably overnight. Yield: about 3 cups.

1 cup spiced pumpkin butter:

5 cups pumpkin puree

slice a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, light brush or spray inside of pumpkin with vegetable oil, turn upside down on a baking sheet and roast in a 375 deg oven for about an hour. Scoop out cooked pumpkin and puree in food processor or food mill. Place puree in colander for 30 minutes to drain of excess water.

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups apple cider

3 1/2 tsps ground ginger

3 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsps ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

Combine in a saucepan and reduce until proper thickness, about 30 minutes

1/2 cup crushed Gingersnaps

2 Tbs Calvados

Combine vanilla base, spiced pumpkin butter and Calvados and place in ice cream freezer. When semi-firm, add gingersnaps. Place in freezer for a couple of hours to continue to harden.

Bon Appetit!!!

pumpkin ginger snap ice cream, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Glittered sneakers

2011-10-10T20:36:00.001-07:00

glittered sneakers, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Just another day (or 2) at Nana's..
What's more fun for a little girls than glitter on sneakers? More glitter and a touch of jewels! After inspiration from The Martha Stewart Show, I hoped that my Denver girls and I could have a fun day personalizing their shoes. I bought us each a pair of classic Van's sneakers, added some new colors to my glitter collection, searched for the perfect diamonds, blue topaz and lavender pearls, grabbed some mod podge and glue and started to work.
I am proud to say that Kate (4) and Ella (8) made their shoes themselves with only a little supervision by me. They chose the colors, the jewels and their pattern. We swapped out the laces in Ella's and here are the results.
The bonus: remnants of glitter everywhere!

gold, jewels and monogram

2011-10-10T20:29:00.001-07:00

glittered sneakers, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

mask off

2011-10-10T20:28:00.005-07:00

mask off, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

glitter and mod podge

2011-10-10T20:28:00.003-07:00

glitter and mod podge, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Kate paints with gold glitter

2011-10-10T20:28:00.001-07:00

Kate paints, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

add a little bling to the toes

2011-10-10T20:27:00.001-07:00

glittered sneakers, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Aspen leaves in October

2011-10-03T10:25:00.001-07:00

Aspen, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Colorado in the fall

2011-10-03T06:49:00.001-07:00

Aspen grove, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

The leaves are just beginning to turn down here in Denver even though the daytime temps are in the 80s but I had heard that up in the mountains the Aspen trees were putting on a show. I started out early Sunday in pursuit of color and color I got.
My destination: The Maroon Bells trail in Aspen---200 miles from Denver. This trail was ranked the #1 trail for fall color by Sunset magazine so I knew I couldn't go wrong. OMG--such beauty. The area is named for the mountains that look like bells and are deep rosy red in color. There are 2 bells (on the right) and the third mountain is Pyramid MT. They make up 3 of Colorado's 54 14,000 ft peaks. But what is at the base is pure heaven.
Ten minutes before I left the house I received an e-mail from my friend Kathy Jones telling me of her week's vacation in Aspen starting today. I haven't seen my dear friend in nine years. It was serendipitous that we were both due to arrive in this lovely place within an hour of each other. We had a good chat and shared a fun meal at Little Annie's in Aspen with her cousin, Joan.
It was a glorious day in the Rockies!

Maroon Bells, Aspen, Colorado

2011-10-03T06:37:00.002-07:00

Maroon Bells, Aspen, Colorado, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

aspen grove

2011-10-03T06:37:00.001-07:00

Maroon Bells, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

the largest living organism on the planet

Maroon lake

2011-10-03T06:36:00.001-07:00

Maroon lake, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

at the bottom of the Bells

wild flowers at the floor

2011-10-03T06:35:00.003-07:00

wild flowers, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

2011-10-03T06:35:00.001-07:00

Kathy and Joan, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

and my friends, Kathy and Joan, helped me finish my day in Aspen with a dinner at Little Annie's

Train your pet contest

2011-09-25T15:08:00.001-07:00

Kate and spider-man, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

We heard on the radio the other day that the circus was coming to Denver and to celebrate training animals there is a contest to win tickets. We have to submit a video of our pet doing a trick. Well I am sure there will be many entries with dog tricks and cat tricks but have you seen our chicken's trick?

Ella and Buttercup

2011-09-25T15:06:00.001-07:00

Ella and Buttercup, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

and then it was Ella's turn

Summer fun

2011-09-19T07:04:00.001-07:00

corn, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

I love summer. There is so much time to be outside.
Yesterday Kate, Ella and I went to the corn maze at the Chatfield farm. We did need help out of the maze but continued to have fun.
In August I visited my family in Seattle for Reina's "4" BD and we had some fun in canoes and a local farm there.
Then there are always chicken stories. My Colorado girls have become quite the chicken keepers. My feathered girls are giving us 4 eggs a day now.....
It looks like we have a farm theme growing. We have renamed the back yard:
Chicken beach.
I used to listen to the gentle sounds of the waves while resting on a beach blanket but now all we hear is a steady....bock bock bock