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 .