After the fall

paul bocuse rose petals, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

A few days ago one of my climbing roses was full of blooms. Even though I love to see them on the bush I had to cut them and bring them inside so that I could not only see their beauty but smell their frangrance as well. Yesterday the blooms lost their petals. I scooped them into the kitchen sink and this is the spill the petals made. Paul Bocuse rose petals..... a fitting place to fall

Mushrooms in sherry shallot broth

mushroom soup, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Another soup! A pretty fast preparation time, too. I found this recipe in Sunset Magazine October issue. The shallots mild flavor complement the mild and earth tones of the mushrooms. I used all portabellas...some little ones and 1 big one. But use any kind of mushrooms you have or can find.
1 lb mushrooms cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup chopped shallots
butter
sherry
thyme
4 cups chicken broth

Saute the shallots in butter until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and 1 tsp fresh thyme. Cook until mushrooms are lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Add 1 cup sherry and bring to boil, stirring. Add chicken broth, cover and return to boil, then simmer 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a garnish of thyme and flat leaf parsley.
Bon Appetit!

The spa at La Quinta

The spa at La Quinta, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Early this morning I took my rescue pack (art on the go) out to squat in front of this building known as The Spa. Soon into my sketching a resort employee driving a cart offered to bring me a chair to sit in. About an hour later the Spa manager offered to let me come in to the Sanctuary to do my art there. It is interesting when you take the risk to "be an artist" in public what kind of people come by to watch. Anyway I spent a couple of hours on this and then we had to come home so I finished it this afternoon at home. It is a bit larger than this....my scanner needs to expand a bit to get it all. It is 15" x 11"...a little big for me. It was a good art weekend.

La Quinta

La Quinta resort and spa, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

I decided to tag along with Ryan this weekend to La Quinta. He flew out to attend a high school friend's wedding in the desert and I was welcomed along. He had social events all day on Saturday....I had nothing to do.....but sketch and paint. It was the best studio imaginable. This resort was built in 1926 with a Spanish colonial design and was full of charm. All of the buildings were white stucco....lots of curved details. The roofs were all tile. I studied them carefully and the technique of an authentic tile roof is amazing. All of the window frames and shutters were a beautiful cobalt blue. These elements were repeated in all of the structures whether build in 85 years ago or 10 years ago. The Santa Rosa mountains back this resort as most of La Quinta. This sketch took more than my normal 20 minutes but I had the whole afternoon. Lots of work on the roof.

It was a fast but very relaxing trip. I am grateful for Ryan letting me tag a long. Happy Birthday Ryan!

wood chair back

wood chair back, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

I sat on a bench in the Plaza while sketching. This was the seat next to me. It also was of Spanish style and had a cobalt blue cushion.

tile roof detail

tile roof detail, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

All of the roofs were terra cotta tiles. They were beautiful and extremely functional providing insulation from the desert heat.

Butternut squash soup with crispy prosciutto

butternut squash soup, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

OK as promised soup and salads for a while...
I love butternut squash soup. It is so complex to the palate for a simple pureed soup. This recipe is from Williams-Sonoma' s Thanksgiving menu for this year and it is divine. They have a new jarred butternut squash puree. It is $12 and probably worth every penny but it is not difficult to do at home. I roasted a whole butternut squash in a 400 deg oven for about an hour. First cut a few slits in the side with a sharp knife so it won't explode in your oven. That would truly be a mess and not only would you have to clean your oven but you would also have to buy a new squash. Let cool and scoop out the insides after removing the seeds. Then proceed with the recipe. This soup has the unique flavor of butternut squash, the savory flavors of the traditional soup herbs and vegetables and the added twist of pear which gives the soup a little sweetness but adds a unique flavor of its own. Try it for your Thanksgiving or before.

Oh..The soupspoon on the right is a very old piece of hotel silver that I have enjoyed collecting over the last 15 years. I just took several pieces to be re-silvered. Silver plate does wear thin after a while and this is the first time I have tried replating any. I just picked up about a dozen pieces today and they are beautiful. Recycle, repurpose...call it what you want but I am really pleased.