Welcome to my Blog , hope you found this from my article in Saratoga Life Magazine November Issue.

Market Basket Lady pastel on sanded paper 13x17 ($200) This babushkad lady is looking at her basket of cabbages and planning to make her favorite Polish recipe .

Cabbage Rolls (Galumpki)

Cabbage Rolls (Galumbki)(Treasured Polish Recipes circa 1948)

from my dear friend Pat's favorite recipes.

1 head green cabbage 1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped fine 1/2 lb ground pork or veal

2 T butter 1/2 cup rice

salt & pepper to taste 1 egg

Remove core from whole head of cabbage with sharp knife.  Scald the cabbage in boiling water.  Remove a few leaves at a time as they soften. Cool before using.  You may remove some of the thick rib, but try not to cut through it.

Wash rice in cold water and stir into 2 quarts of rapidly boiling salted water.  Boil 10 minutes and strain.  Run cold water through rice in strainer.  This rice is now only half cooked.

Saute onion in butter only until it becomes transparent.  Do not let it turn yellow.  Combine with meat, egg, rice and seasonings and mix well. Spread each leaf with meat, about half inch thick, fold the two opposite sides and roll, starting with the rib end.  Fasten with toothpick if necessary.

To cook - place cabbage rolls in baking dish, cover with 5 slices of bacon and roast uncovered for 2 hours at 300 degrees.  Baste from time to time.  O place golumbki in frying pan, add 1can tomato soup (no water) and simmer slowly for 2 hours.  Watch closely and add water if necessary.  Golumbki may be served with mushroom sauce, tomato sauce or sour cream.  When reheated the next day, they are even more delicious.

Road to the Big Beach a pastel on sanded paper and a great recipe for chicken. The road in Cape Cod where my friends live.

Prosciutto and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken with Orange Beurre Blanc Sauce (Website Link)

I got this recipe from www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

8 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 - ounce)

8 slices prosciutto

8 shredded mozzarella

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil, for brushing

1 Cup orange juice

1/2 Cup dry white wine

1 Cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, very finely chopped

4 Tbsp butter, cut into cubes (1/2 stick)

Directions

For the stuffed chicken: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Carefully slice a slit along edge of the thickest part of each chicken breast to create a pocket. Stuff a slice of prosciutto and 1-ounce mozzarella into each, secure with toothpicks as needed, and place on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Place in the oven and roast until fork tender about 45 to 50

Rick's fresh caught crabbies !

"CRABBIES" Crab Appetizers 

From Rick's fresh right off the boat crabs

1 small can crab meat. Or one cup of Rick's fresh caught Dungeness crab 

1 jar Kraft Old English cheese

1 T. mayonnaise

1/2 stick butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pkg. English muffins, halved

Mix all ingredients together and spread on muffin halves. Place on cookie sheet and put in freezer 1 hour; remove from freezer and cut each muffin into quarters. Bag and refreeze or, to serve: broil til golden brown and bubbly.

Note: you can use canned chicken, ham, tuna or salmon in place of the crab meat. If the can of meat contains a lot of water, drain it off. If frozen, you can bake in the oven - 350°-375°, 15-20 minutes or til bubbly.

You can also put this mixture in philo cups.

Rick's Island a place to relax and have fun.

My dear Brother bought a piece of property on one of the San Juan islands off the coast of Washington State . It is painters paradise and it is surely Rick' s place to hang and it is truly Margarittaville.  I painted this barn and part of the country side and there so many spots yet to paint.

The beaches are littered with driftwood that just beckons a crafty person like my SIL ,Patti to craft wonderful objects de art and practical things like a candle holder. 

This , "The Blue Doored Barn " pastel on sanded paper was a nice remembrance of the island.

More about Friday Harbor surrounding areas on another post. 

From Nectarines in a blue bowl to Fruit in a Bennington Pottery Bowl

My (WIP) work in progress changed from all nectarines an apple with nectarines as I decided to make a nectarine an apple ! That is the fun thing about painting with pastels , you never have to commit till your done! 

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,Know when to walk away, know when to run.

 I like these words from the song Gambler . It is the best way to explain the painting process and decision making of a painting from beginning to end . I read this on another art blogger's site and it really fits my feelings about creating a painting. I should have folded on this one .

Another WIP Nectarines in a blue bowl

Breakfast in Tuscany

Poached Eggs Caprese

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar( if not using egg poacher)

2 teaspoons salt

4 eggs

2 English muffin, split

4 (1 ounce) slices mozzarella cheese

1 tomato, thickly sliced

4 fresh basil leaves for garnish

4 teaspoons pesto  mixed with 4 teaspoons of sour cream

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.🌀 Fill a large saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, pour in the vinegar and 2 teaspoons of salt, and keep the water at a gentle simmer.

2. While waiting for the water to simmer, place a slice of mozzarella cheese and a thick slice of tomato onto each English muffin half, and toast in a toaster oven until the cheese softens and the English muffin has toasted, about 5 minutes. Or toast muffins and place under broiler to melt cheese.

3. Crack an egg into a small bowl. Holding the bowl just above the surface of the water, gently slip the egg into the simmering water. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Poach the eggs until the whites are firm and the yolks have thickened but are not hard, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon, and dab on a kitchen towel to remove excess water.

4. To assemble, place a poached egg on top of each English muffin. Spoon a teaspoon or more of pesto sauce mix onto each egg .

5. 🌀I use an egg poacher that poaches six eggs at once. For this recipe I poach 4 eggs.

"Sunset on Rocky Neck"

"Boat Reflections " a pastel on sanded paper 11"x 14"

Recipe for easy Bruschetta

Heirloom Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

• 3 1/2 lbs of tomatoes, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, mashed
• 10 fresh basil leaves, julienne
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 loaf French bread
• 3 cloves garlic, whole
• salt & pepper to taste

Combine diced tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and basil in a bowl, stir.  Cover and let marinate.

Slice the loaf of bread, on the bias, into 3/4-inch slices. Place bread in oven on sheet pan and broil until golden brown on both sides, approximately 2 minutes for the first side and 1 to 1 1/2 for second side. Remove to a platter and rub each slice of bread with the garlic and then brush with olive oil.  Using a slotted spoon, top with tomatoes and serve immediately.

"Heirlooms" ,a pastel painting of red peppers and a tomato , reminds me of summer!

WIP working on a new pastel of a golf course in Saratoga...

Siena Rooftops

ART-I-CHOKES Pastel and recipe.

roasted baby artichokes with a garlic lemon aioli 

Prep Time / Cook Time
20 minutes / 15 minutes

Makes
20 pieces, an appetizer portion for 3-4 people

Ingredients

10 baby artichokes
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons of olive  oil
salt & pepper
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese (optional)

lemon garlic aioli:

1/4 cup mayonnaise 
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
a pinch of salt and white pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425º
• Place a medium sized pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of water and squeeze in the juice of one lemon. (You will place the artichokes in the water once they are peeled and sliced to keep them from turning brown.) 
• Start prepping your artichokes. Pull off the dark green outer leaves until you get to the tender, inner yellow ones.  Cut off the top 1/2 inch.  Then cut off most of the steam, and using a paring knife shave off the rough edges around the base. Slice the artichoke in half and place them in the bowl of lemon water. Repeat until all of the artichokes are done. 
• Transfer the artichokes into the boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes. 
• Remove the artichokes from the water and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Toss them with the oil and arrange them with the outer edges facing down. 
• Season the artichokes with the salt & pepper, and then sprinkle the bread crumbs and parmesan on top. 
• Place them in the over and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. 
• While the artichokes are baking, make your aioli.  Place all of the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until they are combined.  Cover and place in the fridge until you're ready to use. 
• Serve the artichokes warm with the chilled aioli. 

Enjoy. I love them!

Ahh Tuscany

No Knead Artisan Bread Recipe 🔆🔆🔆

Prep time

3 hours

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

3 hours 25 mins

Ingredients

1½ cup warm water 100˚ F.

½ Tbsp salt

¾ Tbsp yeast

3¼ cups better for bread flour OR unbleached, all-purpose flour + extra flour for dusting

What you will need:

Parchment paper

Instructions

Add 1½ cups of warm water and ½ Tbsp of salt to a large bowl. Sprinkle ¾ Tbsp of yeast over the top and let it sit 1-2 minutes, then stir.

Measure out exactly 3 cups of flour (fill the measuring cup and scrape off the top with the back of a knife) and add flour to the bowl.

Using a spatula, stir the mixture until it all comes together and is well blended.

Cover dough with plastic wrap or lid and let it rise at room temperature 2 hours (It rises about 2-3 times in volume).

Line a cutting board with parchment paper and generously dust with flour.

Scrape dough out of the bowl with spatula onto the floured surface.

With well-floured hands, fold the dough in half, then fold the dough in half again. Dust the dough generously with flour, lift it up and form a ball in your hands.

Place the dough over the floured parchment paper, seam side down.

Let it rise on the counter uncovered for 40 minutes. It will look like this when it’s ready to bake:

You will need two shelves in the oven. The middle rack will hold the bread and the bottom rack will hold the water pan. For the bread, use a rimless cookie sheet in the center of the oven. You can also use a regular cookie sheet and turn it upside down. About 10 min before the dough has finished rising, preheat the oven and the cookie sheet to 450˚ F.

Once dough is ready to bake, dust the top with flour and cut three strips across the top with a serrated or very sharp knife.

Once the oven is preheated, put baking dish on bottom rack and pour 1 cup hot water to that baking dish.

Slide the dough with the parchment paper onto the hot cookie sheet and bake at 450˚ F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and let it cool down a little before cutting into it.

Beach Days and Dunes

I love painting beach dunes and ocean views ...I love a painting I did of dunes , so much promise ahead beyond the dunes.

Monet's Garden ,Pastel on sanded paper

These Squares will rock your world!

Caramel Shortbread Squares (millionaire shortbread)

Rated:
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Ready In: 35 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes Servings: 40
"These cookies consist of a shortbread crust, firm caramel center, and a milk chocolate top. They are super-easy to make and they take only 20 minutes to bake."
INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed
milk
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
2. In a medium bowl, mix together 2/3 cup butter, white sugar, and flour until evenly crumbly. Press into a 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
3. In a 2 quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust (warm or cool). Cool until it begins to firm.
4. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir and continue to heat and stir at 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly to cover completely. Chill. Cut into 1 inch squares. These need to be small because they are so rich.

Golf Anyone?

This is a golf course on the coast of Oregon ! Pastel on sanded paper.

Goode St. Barns .....pastel on sanded paper.

A Pastel is a drawing or painting done with a soft, chalk-like pastel "stick" composed of powdered pigments held together with an aqueous gum binder.

In appearance, the pastel stick essentially looks like a piece of chalk, although it is actually somewhat softer and smoother.

A drawing or painting created with this kind of stick is called a Pastel. An artist who works in the medium of pastels is called a "Pastellist".

I could teach you how to paint in pastels or make soup!

Italian Wedding Soup on the Light Side

I got this recipe from www.food.com

Ingredients
1 Cup diced onion
1 Cup of diced celery
1 Cup of diced carrot
1 Cup of diced turkey ham
1 Tbsp of minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 Cups low - fat chicken broth
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/4 Cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp fresh pepper
salt
1 egg
1 of drained and rinsed cannellini beans (15 ounce)
2 Cups of fresh whole spinach leaves
2 eggs
1/2 Cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions
1 Sweat the onions, carrots, celery, ham and garlic in 2 T. of olive oil in a soup pot until soft, add 6 cups of chicken broth; simmer 15-20 minutes.
2 Mix ground turkey with bread crumbs, salt, pepper and egg. Drop in simmering soup with a melon baller and cook until the meatballs float to the top (about 10 min).
3 Stir in 1 15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, 2 cups of whole fresh spinach leaves. Simmer 2 minutes.
4 Combine 2 beaten eggs with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and whisk in soup off heat.
5 Serve with crusty bread and a salad ! It is yummo !
6 This recipe is dedicated to my little guy with Autism and my hope for a cure. If you want to know more about the devastating effects of Autism.

My Notes
Use turkey kielbasa in place of ham I do not add eggs to soup just sprinkle with Parmesan

Blueberries and Blue Painting

Blueberry-Ricotta Pancakes

Source: © EatingWell Magazine

Total Time: 40 Minutes
Yield: 4 servings, 2 pancakes each
Serve these light pancakes with our Chunky Blueberry Sauce, maple syrup or honey. Sprinkling the berries on top of the cooking pancakes ensures even distribution. Keep finished pancakes warm in a 200°F oven, if desired, while cooking the rest.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Source)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk (see Tip)
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
3/4 cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries


Tip: Source: Look for whole-wheat pastry flour in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets and natural-foods stores.

Tip: No buttermilk? Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice into 1 cup milk.
Big Book of Breakfast. Buy at Amazon

You May Also Like
Lemon Souffle Pancakes With Raspberry Syrup See More Similar Recipes »
DIRECTIONS
Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg in a small bowl. Whisk ricotta, egg, egg white, buttermilk, lemon zest and juice in a large bowl until smooth. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.


Brush a large nonstick skillet with 1/2 teaspoon oil and place over medium heat until hot. Using a generous 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake, pour the batter for 2 pancakes into the pan, sprinkle blueberries on each pancake and cook until the edges are dry and bubbles begin to form, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining oil, batter and berries, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning.

I made this recently for a crowd ,it was sinfully delicious ! Try it for a large dinner party.

Dulce de Leche Cake
2 tsp. butter
1 tbsp. plus 2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1⁄2 tsp. fine salt
6 eggs, at room temperature, separated
1 1⁄4 cups sugar
1⁄2 cup whole milk
1 1⁄2 tbsp. dark rum
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 16-oz. jar dulce de leche (milk caramel)
1. Heat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9" × 13" baking pan with the butter and dust with 1 tbsp. of the flour. Invert the dish, tap out the excess flour, and set aside.
2. Sift the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside. Put the egg whites into a large bowl and beat with a hand-held electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. While the mixer is still running, add the sugar in a gradual stream and continue beating again to soft peaks. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add the reserved flour mixture and the whole milk in 3 parts, beating until smooth after each addition. Add the rum and vanilla and beat again briefly until smooth.
3. Pour batter into reserved baking pan and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Set the cake aside and let cool slightly for 30 minutes.
4. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a bowl. Using a knife, poke the cake with holes all over, penetrating to the bottom of the pan. Pour the milk mixture over the warm cake and set aside to let cool completely.
5. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled and liquid is absorbed, at least 4 hours. Spread the dulce de leche across the top of the cake and serve.
MAKES ONE 9" × 13" CAKE

Here are few of my favorite things to paint with.

I really love my Terry Ludwig square sticks , never purposely break them .I love to glide them over the surface ever so lightly for glints of and layers of color .I like to turn them on edge just. Marking a straight sharp line where needed.

This painting from a photo taken while visiting Maui . It has been sold ! I painted it for us ,guess I will have to paint another.

Here's a painting and a recipe

First, this is fun painting I did one day when I was making eggplant Parmesan !

Saucey Sauce
3 cans crushed tomatoes
Handful chopped basil leaves
Heaping tablespoon Turkish oregano
7 or 8 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup Parmesan and Romano grated cheese
1lb. Hot Italian sausage links cut into 2" pieces
Couple boneless chicken thighs
Salt ,pepper to taste and tablespoon sugar

Just dump all in a large pot and simmer all day. .

Welcome ,my first post