Posts

The Colors of Yellowstone

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I could not imagine what people thought when they first wandered into these hot, colorful, sulfur smelling, bubbling pits, but I was mesmerized, particularly with the color mixes. And of course I am taking pictures with abstract paintings in mind, in hopes that one day soon those brushes will come out and some paintings will be painted. After coming back from our big trip out West last August, I put up some pictures of Glacier, Wind Cave, Mount Rushmore, and the Tetons, but haven't yet put up any of Yellowstone. So enjoy the colors. I have said it many of times, God is the best of artists, and he gives the best inspiration!

Hydrangeas Have the Blues

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Can anything be more soothing to look at than Hydrangeas? I have lately added them to my gardens, even though they are in large pots. Haven't decided where exactly I want them. But for now, I just enjoy looking at them in all their splendor. Last year they were blooming, just as we left for the beach and I foolishly cut off all the blooms thinking I could dry them. It didn't work. They were a mess when I got home. So I am thinking, how does one dry hydrangea blooms? I would like to try again. I know nothing is the same as fresh blooms, but to be able to save a bit of that color for the barren winter months! Has anyone ever tried painting them? I don't recall ever seeing a painting of this plant. the painting wouldn't be subtle with a riot of color. The blues, and violets, the cream, it could be quite lovely, I think.

Wonderful Peppermint!

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Spent the day in the garden this morning. The clouds kept the weather on the cooler side so it was quite enjoyable. I love the month of May down here in the deep South. The weather is still pleasant and the garden is all young and fresh. The weeds have not take n over and it is a joy to walk around the plants and smell their heady aroma s. My mints all need to be harvested again and dried for future use. This will be the second harvest already. I have already dried 1/2 gallon of various mint varieties for making my mint melange tea, and today I picked a bunch, I mean , a bunch of peppermint and made peppermint hydrosol and peppermint extract. The hydrosol is a very cooling liquid. I use it to make a wonderful soothing and cooling stress relief lotion. It can also be sprayed onto my skin for all the hot flashes I experience.  After making the above, I headed out to the garden once more and finally planted my leggy calendula seed lings. Starting plants from seed is a bit time con

Mojito Pork Chops

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Another wonderful recipe courtesy of Tablespoon.com. Ok, this recipe does have sugar in it and rum, but the picture and ingredients made this dish look so delicious, I had to post! Yes, my posts on this blog have been all about cooking lately. I long to get back to painting, but there just has not been the time. Maybe soon. The season just might not be for now. My paints are all still out staring at me each day, wondering if I will pick them up and play, but my days seem rather full of other things. Still, the desire is there.... Ingredients 4 bone-in pork loin chops (about 2 lb) 1 teaspoon salt

Slow-Cooker Barbeque Brisket

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Courtesy of Tablespoon , this recipe is not only easy, but oh! so good. Crock-pots are the best! Making barbecue brisket for a crowd is easy, thanks to this set-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker technique. Ingredients 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon celery salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 4 to 5 lb fresh beef brisket (not corned beef) 1 1/2 cups ketchup 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 3/4 cup low-sodium beef, chicken or vegetable broth or water Directions In small bowl, mix brown sugar, chipotle chili powder, cumin, celery salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spray inside of 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place brisket in slow cooker; rub mixture all over brisket. In another small bowl, mix 3/4 cup of the ketchup, the appl

English Muffins

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I have always liked English Muffins growing up as a child, toasted with a bit of butter. But like most processed items in the grocery store, I noticed my store bought muffins could last months on the counter without molding, and they just did not taste good anymore. So, I found this easy recipe for my English Muffins. You will need a good mixer, like a Kitchen-Aid. With a good mixer, this really is a pretty easy way to make the dough. Also, buy some English Muffin Rings from King Arthur Flour Company. They make creating muffins a snap, and they help the dough rise higher. You can also use them to make the perfect round poached egg for an Egg McMuffin. Though, you can cook these muffins in a skillet, I prefer to use a non-stick griddle. With this item you can cook 6 muffins at a time. 1 cup warm water (115°) 1 tsp. sugar 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast 2 cups all-purpose flour 2-3 Tbsp. butter, melted 1 tsp. salt 6 Tbsp. yellow cornmeal 1. In the bowl of a freestanding mixer s

Enjoying the Glimpse of Spring

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I love March down South. The days are getting longer, flowers are starting to pop up all over the yard, (even though some are weeds), and seeds can be planted in flats. I go about trying to uncover my gardens and planning to plant far too much for me ever to take care of.  But I love the smells herbs can bring and I love how they can change an ordinary dish into something spectacular. I love growing flowers that can also be used for medicine. The coming of Spring is a magical time.   I forgot where I purchased it, but sometime in the winter I saw this garden stool. Anyone who has weeded knows that the back can only take so many hours of weeding.  This week I took this collapsible stool out of its box and gave it a try. Perfect! Weeding can be therapeutic if one is comfortable. There is a sense of accomplishment when the garden is exposed after being covered by weeds all winter. This stool has pockets for tools, is small enough to fit in confined places and can be collapsed fo