I'm just saying...

This dish was amazingly delicious but I'm going to have to say it is a dish best made for one or two. Making each egg and tortilla combination individually for five peeps had me feeling a bit like a line cook (eggs get cold so quickly that I can't imagine them being as delicious if made too far ahead). Of course there was also the fact that I made the beans in the slow cooker then finished them up "cowboy style" in a sauce pan, whipped up the creme fraiche and lemon zest, fried the capers and decided to make guacamole as well. By the time I put dinner on the table it looked as though the Tasmanian Devil had been through my kitchen. As Chuck and I cleaned up after dinner I came down with a bad case of the giggles every time I looked at the counter. The amount of pots, pans, dishes and plates I used for this one simply delicious meal was just shy of crazy...but in a good way.

ps: people who feed people should see this video

hello friend.

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later: major food blog crush. I know, I know you would think that with my crazy mad love of food and cooking it would have happened long ago. But in an effort to maintain studio time, parenting time and partner time I held off. I tried to only check in on fellow artists and a few friends and limit my lists of blogs to follow. In a sense I guess I was protecting my time from being sucked away by all the yummy goodness I know exists out there. I've followed a link here or there to get a recipe but for the most part I've stuck to my cookbooks, Epicurious and Bon Appetite (i still miss you gourmet). But in my crazy home-for-sale-not-sure-what-comes-next state of continuous distraction I stumbled upon 101 cookbooks and now there's no turning back. There is so much real food awesomeness out there!

So do have a favorite food blog I should check out?

ps: tonight I'm whipping up these with a pot of Rancho Gordo Rio Zapo Beans "cowboy style"

feeling spring...

Her colors began to emerge::Spring (from dreaming to waking)

Are you feeling spring? I smell it in the air, I can see it in the landscape but more than anything I can feel it. Inside I feel the stirrings of optimism and hope that the season embodies. The dark and grey days of winter will end (they always do) and sure enough spring will emerge in all it's green glory. I love being back in the mid-west where the seasons are well defined and there is an almost communal joy that people share as this change from grey to green begins in earnest. I've mentioned before that Autumn is my favorite season but this year I need Spring and all it's sunshine, rain and growth.

In other news, remember when I told you a while back that a painting of mine had been purchased to be in a movie? The movie is "The Lincoln Lawyer" with Matthew McConaughey and Marisa Tomei. I was told when I signed the release that my painting would be hanging in the apartment of a girl in her mid-20's. So Friday night I was super excited as I went to see the movie with C by my side. Unfortunately, the 20 year old girl is the victim of a violent attack and every scene in her apartment was really dark and fast paced and so despite all my squinting and looking I wasn't able to spot the painting. This however did not diminish the sense of pride I felt walking out of the movie theater. I've grown so accustomed to sending my paintings off to real people whom I make a mini connection with through notes or email. I can't help but wonder where the painting is now? Is it hanging in a cast member or production person's house? Is it in a storage facility or at an auction? I guess I'll never know about this little starlet. By the way the movie was really, really good and I loved the soundtrack. It's kind of gritty-city-summertime-music with a laid back 70's vibe. Anyways, I would definitely recommend the movie and if you happen to have better eyes than me and you see my piece in the movie drop me a line.

ps: 10% off and free shipping in my etsy shop for the rest of march : )

Spreading my wings...

you are loved

this tiny bit of goodness got me back into the studio

(it's for a special someone who needed a reminder)

sometimes words won't do the trick and a hug just isn't enough

(i think this is perfect)

Have a lovely weekend!

let them eat rainbows...

Rainbows bring big smiles and when it comes to finding one in a cupcake even better, right? I used a white cake mix and then divided it into four bowls and added food coloring. I then put one or two spoonfuls of each color into the paper lined muffin tin in a willy nilly kind of way. The results were nothing short of magical. I made a quick home made butter cream frosting (with a bit-o-green dye in honor of St. Patrick's Day) and served up some rainbow yumminess after school today : ) Happy St. Patrick's Day!

keeping busy...

A weekend trip to the library fueled my domestic fires. As the monotony of keeping a big old house in "showing condition" starts to wear thin I have turned my thoughts to what comes next. And yes, my friends, I'm talking about backyard chickens. I was actually in the process of applying for a permit to keep hens here in Evanston when things started unravelling and our life plan unexpectedly changed. Although there is still a bit of uncertainty in the big picture department I feel chickens may be in our future (dairy goats might be a bit of a stretch but I'm feeling curious about lots of new things these days). I like the part of uncertainty that allows one to believe anything is possible, you know? The Tartine Country loaf with walnuts (pictured above) is gorgeous to look at and super satisfying to nibble. The tannins in the walnuts streak the bread purple and served with herb and lemon goat cheese spread* and a glass of syrah it was the perfect snack for reading by the fire late Sunday afternoon.

I wish you a week full of curiosity and inspiration...thanks for stopping by: )

*Herb and lemon goat cheese spread

5 ounces goat chees at room temp

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

2 tsp finely grated lemon peel

1 clove finely chopped garlic

1-2 tsp olive oil (enough to get a spreadable texture)

mix all ingredients and enjoy

thinking in color...

So I know it was just a few days ago that I mentioned not being ready for spring. I wrote about still needing the quiet and muted palette of winter to create but as often happens as soon as the words fall onto the page they become a bit removed from me. Maybe it's the fact that by the time I am able to put something into words I've come to terms with whatever it is and am ready to move forward. Does that make sense? Well, shortly after writing about my "winter-love" I began to think non-stop about new growth, color and the lushness of spring. I have two new encaustic pieces in the works but also started on the slightly larger oil painting pictured above. I'm not sure I'm over winter (note the fire) but I am feeling that tinge of hope and optimism that spring brings. See you tomorrow.....