Monday, June 25, 2012

More San Fran photos!

view across the vineyard, Napa
 To refresh your memory, I was lucky enough to take a trip to San Francisco with my friend Heather this past Memorial Day weekend.  Here are more photos from our awesome adventure...
Heather sampling some vino at Bell Cellars

vats and bottles at Bell Cellars - their wine was unbelievable! I highly recommend reserving a tasting time here.

Giant redwood at Muir Woods

funny loaves of sourdough bread at Boudin Bakery

highly fragrant sea lions at Pier 39 (really?)

 We had no clue it was the 75th birthday weekend of the Golden Gate bridge when we booked our trip.  What great luck - stuff like this never happens to me!  The Sunday of the long weekend was the big day of celebrations.  Heather and I didn't venture too far into the festivities (neither of us are fans of crowds) but we got together with some friends of hers who were in town - another odd coincidence! It was a fun night hanging by the bridge, drinking wine and waiting for the fireworks, even though it seemed unseasonably cold (coming from 75 degrees and sunny in Boston, to 50 and dank in San Fran, which I learned wasn't unseasonable. ) Here are some bridge photos.  I was too entranced by the fireworks to snap any photos of them!  Oh well... memories...



Sunday, June 24, 2012

Home-made Iced Tea Recipe

choose your favorite flavorful tea

boil some water

let the tea steep for a few minutes more than what the box recommends

pour into your favorite glass bottle or carafe; to sweeten mine, I like to add 1/4 inch-worth of amber agave nectar; stir or shake to dissolve

after the tea has cooled a bit, refrigerate & enjoy!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Long over-due: Herbed Spaghetti Squash Recipe

I'm embarrassed to say I made this recipe - specifically to share on the blog - last fall.  That's the best time of year for squash.  Acorn, butternut, pumpkin.  All kinds are readily available at farmer's markets and the chill in the air always makes me want to warm up in the kitchen and bake something in the oven.  Can you tell I'm trying to get you in the mood for this recipe?  I honestly can't imagine turning on my oven for extended period of time when it's forecast to be in the 90s this week. Although being familiar with New England weather, it could be in the 50s next week!

Here's the perfect recipe for a cold summer day, if we get one.  Finding the squash could be tricky, so you could always save this as something to look forward to later in the fall.

When I have a new ingredient I'm cooking with for the first time, in this case spaghetti squash, I usually perform a Google recipe search for it.  This was result #3: Emeril's Herbed Spaghetti Squash.  It looked so easy!  BAM - I was down for it. 

medium-sized spaghetti squash seasoned with salt and pepper, cut in half and roasted for an hour; scrape out the inside flesh with a fork.

scraping out the flesh with a fork

still scraping

spooning out the scraped flesh (sounds yummy, huh?)

empty squashes!

scraped flesh in a bowl (delish!)

fresh basil and a hunk of butter, ready to be added to a large frying pan

add the squash to the melted butter and chopped fresh basil (or other fresh herb of your choice) and saute

once everything is adequately combined over medium heat, serve (and eat!) immediately

BAM! A delicious bowl of spaghetti squash!  Feel free to top with fresh, grated Parmesan or Romano cheese - I did.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Crazy dots!

I'm working on some new designs, incorporating my OCD dots.  What do you think?
inspired by those color blindness tests

side view

Ocean dot soap pump

New Home Studio

Now coming to you from West Medford, MA!
unpainted pieces, older pieces, commissions, files, packing supplies; on the wall, a Jane Rainwater woodcut

custom hutch with shelves for my finished pieces, reference books and paint brushes, and drawers for paints, marketing material, shipping & craft show supplies
next to the hutch is this fantastic antique chair I won at an auction on Cape Cod

grey items

soy bowls, ice cream bowls and tumblers
Work table and photo shoot area


view out the back window