Snack break

 

Being a longtime vegetarian I am forgetting, or not remembering

what certain foods taste like.

Some are ones I never ate...or have no memory of eating, in this case tuna salad.

 

I have made it, tuna fish salad for hubby, but really guessed on what stuff went into it.

He makes his own now, I guess I was a bad guesser....

 

I recently came across this recipe and made it and have made it many times over again since.

if you are looking to lower your mercury intake, but still crave that texture I say give this a try.

Hubby tried it and said: "that was not what I was expecting, that is pretty good"

Here is how I make it:

In a mixing bowl combine all this stuff

 

1 can drained and rinsed garbanzo beans

2-3 stalks of chopped celery

1 shallot chopped

(it is milder then scallion or onions, but they work in a pinch)

1 heaping tablespoon of veganaise (or mayo)

1 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard

I tablespoon of rice vinegar

1 tablespoon of tamari (or soy sauce)

a pinch of poultry seasoning (it is vegan, and a mix of herbs and spices)

a pinch of salt and pepper (white or black depending on taste preferences)

Smash it all up until the texture is to your liking

I like texture so I don't smash it to oblivion

Serve on toasted whole grain bread with tomato

yummmm

 

Back in the saddle

I am hunched over a worktable currently, working on new etchings and linocuts.

I don't really have a lot to say these days.

I had to work through a pretty thick creative block and then some frustration from said creative block.

I am pretty sure I am back on the right track again.

I am making things and dreaming crazy dreams...so that is all "normal-er"

As I spend so much time alone while making, I often find myself in conversations with the cats...or better yet myself.

My Nana use to say, "it is ok to talk to yourself as long as you don't answer yourself."

I don't think I have answered myself, have I?

 

Here is a little of what I have made so far:

A set is being sent to Australia for a fundraiser.
This is a small edition I made for myself, I have plans for them
 

 

skeleton seed pods, just another pretty little print

 

 

I made some Purim cookies too....they are yummy

 

step one of the most complex linocut I have set to make

Muffin of the day

(this is not me, just a drawing )

When I work at the machine shop I tend to make muffins for breakfast.

I work with all men, and to date, none have turned down the chance to try a homemade muffin.

I get the dry part of the recipe together the night before... 

I don't trust myself to measure things at 5:30 in the morning

Making muffins allows me to wake up early, 

bake the muffins while showering and 

then have a homemade breakfast at work with tea.

The muffins are available to anyone who walks into the office...I have the UPS driver hooked

sometimes I will sway and make cookies, but recently I have been on a muffin kick.

I am trying all sorts of muffin recipes, I mostly lean towards ones that don't have high levels of sugar.

I am going to try and post pictures of them each week

Here is today's:

Carrot-Zucchini Walnut muffins

I have a lot of zucchinis coming from the garden so it was only natural to make these this morning.

I normally make this as a loaf, so I thought I'd try them as muffins instead...they turned out alright.

If fact one of the machine operators said 

"I don't like vegetables and this doesn't taste anything like vegetables, they are really good!"

I'll take that as a thumbs up

The Art of Distractions

bunnies and flowers

I think I should get a PhD in distractions!

I can think of a million things to do...to avoid doing anything that is pressing.

I think I kind of feed on the adrenaline that I produce to play "catch up" when I realize that push has come to SHOVE!

Point in case: I am suppose to be ordering frames for my work, well frames and mat board...and here I am making bunny shaped cookies, doing laundry (note the same laundry I avoided earlier this week) and thinking of reorganizing the patio! seriously

I think the motivation for this series of distractions is the overwhelming feeling. I mean I not only have to work on not critiquing my work as I figure out how I want it to look framed, but what size frame, what shape, design, and where it should go in the gallery. Ideally though I am not suppose to think of that until I get to the gallery to hang the show...which is only 24days away!! not that I am not freaking about that either. breathing in and out in and out.

Today the gallery also sent out their press release to the media, so I am now out in the universe as I am really putting on this show and really going to have an opening.

In some ways I want to fast forward to First Friday where I am standing in the filled gallery and talking about my process and show....but in other ways I want to savor this drama....it could go two ways from here. I could not see this kind of buildup over a show for a while, or (crossed fingers and legs on this version) Someone else sees the work and wants it in their gallery too!

I am very proud, but it kind of feels like I have walked to the top of the building and am about to open the door to see just how up I am.

I hope there will be a lovely breeze out there!!

"life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer you get to the end the faster it goes"

too strange

Day 9-Dinner

Tonight's dinner: Tomato soup with pasta and spinached* veggies

* Spinached veggies are veggies surrounded by tons of spinach, my invention

I wasn't one that took to cooking, in fact I didn't know how to cook pretty much anything until well after meeting my husband.

I was of the belief that society had placed particular assumtions on women and I was not going to bow to those preconceived notions of what my interests or responsiblities should be. So....I ate a lot of take out and whatever my parents made for dinner.

My brother on the other hand took to my mom's instructions on cooking and sewing and can make a pie from scratch without hesitation and redo the interior of a car!

One my first date with my sweetie, he made us breakfast...and I was amazed and convinced that I would not starve! I could hang out with this guy. It was not until we were together for a good bit of time that he said      " you know, you might find cooking fun. I do not expect you to cook for us...but you might get some pleasure from creating with food" 

With that, I made a stir fry with the supportive audience of a smiling boyfriend.

I now really do like cooking, and baking and making gingerbread houses....but I still don't like the cleaning up afterwards part.