GGStratton

A Little History on How Paint Tubes Have Evolved for Artists

Before the technological advancement of portable paints in tubes, artists were working primarily from their studios, working from memory or rough sketches and painting still life and portraits. When they did leave the studio, sketching was done using graphite, watercolor or chalk.  They would then return to their studio to complete the project.  It is quite possible that a considerable amount of…

Jason de Caires Taylors’ Underwater Sculptures are AWESOME!!

British sculptor Jason de Caires Taylor creates underwater installations that are mostly of humans with expressions of despair. Being that they are below the waters’ surface they are mostly colorless but a closer look reveals bright colored coral that has attached itself to the sculptures. The forms are realistic with textures that provide environments for sea life. The only light is from above…

How Can I Meditate With A Spider In The Room

Recently I started a nutrition class and so far it has been very interesting tracking food, learning what to eat, what not to eat and so on.  So what goes hand in hand with a healthy diet….you got it….exercise.  I have been diligent the last TWO days and am attempting to try meditation.  My mind goes a thousand miles an hour so this may prove challenging to say the least.  So far there have been…

I haven’t been doing much cooking, however I did make a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie a week or so ago.  The recipe was super easy so this is a for-sure keeper.  Really, what isn’t good with cream cheese.  Here is the link to the recipe.

As for that COMPLETED projects list:

The kitchen needed color so here it is – LOVE IT – My favorite color – LIME GREEN.  I’m sure my husband will adjust eventually.   The bathroom project started out ok.  I just wanted to add color so I painted the area near the ceiling only.  Turns out, that did not match the trim and cabinets.  Then I painted the trim – still didn’t look right so I ended up painting the cabinets as well.  Not what I had planned because I have never been a fan of white cabinets but I think in this situation is was the best decision.

I figured while I was at it I would go ahead and do something with the plain plywood window seat.  The previous owners had cushions but with us having dogs – well, they chose it as their bed and they had to be thrown out.   The wood I painted with streaks of turquoise and then went over that with Jacobean colored stain.  Our house is mostly wood inside and all one color at that so this kinda mixed it up a bit.  I also had a four wooden wine boxes (I know-more wood) so I made some shelves so that we could display some pictures.  I think those turned out nicely.  My awesome, creative sister made the trunk that is in the corner.  I just LOVE it.

Thanks for stopping by.  As always I look forward to reading all the great blogs out there.  I keep adding more but there are just so many that interest me.  Hope everyone has a Blessed day and an awesome week.

White Chocolate-Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

This day is creeping by.  There are things I SHOULD be doing but I just don’t wanna.  I did manage to catch up on laundry and dishes and my sweet husband vacuumed.  It has been a lazy, lazy day but I did bake some cookies….too many.  At least it depleted my supply of chocolate chips.

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups flour

1…

School started back up this week and I am excited to be taking an Art Appreciation class.  So far I have found it to be very interesting.  This weeks assignment was to look at, describe, interpret and judge the work of Jason de Caires Taylor, a British sculptor who creates environmentally friendly underwater installations that are absolutely astonishing.

Today it is WAY too windy to do anything…

So much has been going on that I have neglected to post regularly.  This is my fourth day on my chemo pill (Ibrance) and so far so good.  Luckily I have had no side effects except for anxiety which is completely understandable.  With the meds it is necessary to drink at least 64 ounces of water per day and that has been my biggest challenge.  At the end of the day I feel like I did when we were…

Just Dropping In To Say Hello

Just dropping in to catch up on all the great blogs that I follow.  Unfortunately, since my husband and I started school I have not had time to cook as much and definitely have not had time to post.  Today I had a small window so I prepared some smoked rice with broccoli, mushrooms and alfredo sauce.  My plan is top that with a couple of tuna steaks.

On a more positive note I am loving my class…

School is going well, we have great teachers and since it is a small campus it is easy to get more one-on-one assistance when we need it.  The best news is that I DO LIKE MATH-it’s like a giant puzzle.  Doesn’t make sense but I get to figure it out.  I have been making fruit/vegetables smoothies ALMOST every morning and getting rather good at it.  The one I made this morning consisted of pineapple, cantaloupe, cucumber, aloe juice and a Tablespoon on coconut oil, a little milk, a little ice and fat-free/sugar-free whip and a cherry.  YUM!  I find that they taste better when in a pretty glass too.  :)

Last night my husband was craving spaghetti so I made regular spaghetti for him and made the beef and veggies over rice noodles for myself.  I did sneak in a few sun-dried tomatoes to test the waters.  Seemed to be alright so that’s a good thing.  Surprising I think I like what I made for myself better than having the actual spaghetti.

Here is what I did:

Ingredients:

1/2 pounds ground beef

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

2 zucchini, sliced

1 Tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes (the kind in the jar)

2 Tablespoons fresh basil

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

olive oil

1 package rice noodles (enough to make 1-2 cups)

Slice and boil the mushrooms, drain and set aside.  In a large skillet brown the ground beef, drain and rinse under warm water.  Wipe out the same skillet and add a small amount of olive oil.  Stir fry the zucchini until slightly tender and then return the beef to the pan along with the rest of the ingredients.  Serve over rice noodles.  I did not list amount for salt and pepper because I used minimal amounts.

I am still reading all of the blogs and loving all the great recipes but due to homework don not always have the time to make comments (plus our internet is like a snail on peanut butter).  I hope to be posting more soon because we do have some small breaks coming up.  I may even post some thing that we do in class if they are interesting.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week and an awesome weekend.

Ramen Noodles-I swore after my first apartment that I would never, EVER eat them or Kraft mac and cheese EVER, EVER again.  I am sure I’m not alone here.  I have definitely stuck with not eating the mac and cheese-can’t even look at it or smell it without feeling sick.  Ramen on the other hand has made a reappearance over the years and on occasion I do enjoy it.  I do only like the Roasted Chicken, Chili and Shrimp flavors though.

Cook the Ramen according to package directions.  Drain, reserve broth in small bowl and cool noodles to room temperature.  Whisk two eggs in a bowl until color is a consistent yellow and add in with noodles.  Spray two ramekins with cooking spray and divide the noodles between the two.  Press down and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.  You can do this any number of ways.  One is to place a layer of plastic wrap over the noodles and top with a vegetable can.  I chose to mess up even more dishes and use a second ramekin.  Der!  When you are ready to cook the patty, heat 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil in skillet, use a knife to loosen the noodles from the dish and empty into skillet.  Cook on both sides until the patties are the way you would like them.  Remove the patties to a plate and in the same skillet add the broth and 1 teaspoon of flour.  Stir until thickened and all lumps are removed.  For the fish all I did was sprinkle it with garlic pepper and Korean chili powder and poach in small amount of water.  There are many creative ideas out there on ways to use these Ramen patties.  I have been wanting to try them after seeing them prepared by a food truck vendor and used instead of a bun for a burger.

Here are a few more ideas that don’t need so much explanation.

So many great things come from watching cooking shows and when they involve potatoes-even better.  I saw this recipe on Dinner at Tiffani’s and got all tingly with excitement.  Instead of crinkle cut frozen fries I roasted tiny red and gold potatoes with a few onions which I sprinkled with some Cajun seasoning.  For the gravy I used chicken broth instead of beef and white cooking wine instead of sherry.  Same awesome results.  Next time I am going to add crispy crumbled bacon and chives.  These would be so PERFECT for a late night craving.

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/tiffani-thiessen/disco-fries.html

It’s a great day-get out an enjoy it!

Have A Great Day!!

Sewing on all the stuff was the hard part being that my seamstress skills are minimal.  Next year I am planning on something a lot more simple.

Since I spent the morning doing yard work I took the easy way out for dinner and made Split Pea Soup With Roasted Red Peppers.

Wishing You All A Safe And Happy Halloween.

Here are a few of the sauces I have made over the last few months.  At first it seemed time consuming but now it is so simple.

Spicy Thai

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 Tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon sriracha

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

I use this often when I prepare my Summer Salad.

  Spicy Ancho Balsamic

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lime juice

1/3 agave nectar

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sriracha

1 teaspoon sugar (I use Stevia)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder

    Sriracha Sauce

½ cup ketchup

1/3 cup sweet chili sauce

2 Tablespoons sriracha sauce

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili paste

This was a sauce that I made for Spicy Bison Meatballs but would be great with any type of meat.

Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

4 medium tomatillos, quartered

1 avocado

1 large jalapeno, cut in half and seeds removed

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 small white onion, sliced chunky

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  Cut the tomatillos into quarters, cut the jalapeno in half and the onion in chunky slices.  Spray a foil lined baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place the vegetables on the sheet and roast until slightly charred. (Mine took around 10 minutes but it may not take that long).  Remove from oven and let cool.  Add roasted vegetables and spices to food processor and pulse.  Add the avocado and pulse until it is the consistency that you prefer.

Roasted Red Pepper & Basil Marinara

1 roasted red pepper, peeled

2 Tablespoons fresh basil

1 Tablespoon parmesan, grated

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon olives, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon oregano

  Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  We used this on pizza instead of a tomato based sauce.

Basil & Parmesan Sauce

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup parmesan, grates

1 Tablespoon fresh basil

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Mix in food processor.  This was awesome as a dipping sauce for pizza crust.

  Balsamic-Dijon Dressing:

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon agave or honey

2 Tablespoons light mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons water

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon creamy Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and Pepper

Mix all ingredients in food processor and pulse on highest setting until well blended.

Spicy -Sweet Chili Cream Sauce

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

2 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce

1 Tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons hot sauce

We had this sauce with Crispy Shrimp Tacos,Cilantro Slaw & Spicy-Sweet Chili Cream Sauce.

Have a great day!!

Now…something about food.

Who doesn’t love good ole deviled eggs.  Only once in my life have I had one that I didn’t like.  The filling was nothing more than yolk and miracle whip-no pickles, no mustard and no spices.  To tell the story, I was invited to attend Thanksgiving dinner with another family and instead of cooking the meal they opted to take everyone to an upscale country club to one of those massive buffets.  This is where I met this icky deviled egg.  You would think a dinner claiming to be elegant and traditional would have treated the eggs to a pretty swirl of filling and a festive garnish.  Sad that those little eggs made it to a place most eggs never dream of and then are treated like that.  Sad :(

For these deviled eggs I used baby dills which are the best pickles EVER and pickled garlic that I picked up at a farmers market.  The garlic-seriously-I can eat straight from the jar.

3 boiled eggs

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon plain Greek yogurt

3 cloves pickled garlic, minced

1 baby dill pickle, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper (if you want-I didn’t think it needed any)

Fresh or dried dill for garnish

Cream the egg yolks, mustard and yogurt together.  Add the pickled garlic and chopped dill pickle.  Mix well and stuff into egg white.  Sprinkle with dill.

BE HAPPY!!