Saturday, September 25, 2010

love

in the year 2000 I met my best friend

he was sweet and charming
he made me giggle
he made me smile
he whisked me off my feet and made me feel alive again

as we were about to set sail on a Caribbean cruise in 2003
he proposed
on September 25, 2004 we married - it was such a beautiful day
and I felt like I was finally where I was meant to be
my soul was home
happy anniversary my love



Thursday, September 23, 2010

Wickedly Good

only 13 days away
we will be traveling to one of our fave retreats...
My Workshops - Figuratively Speaking, Humble Beginnings and Almost Home
ART IS YOU - Wickedly Good in Danbury CT
We have been with this retreat since the beginning and it only gets more fabulous every year - such a feast for the eyes & soul.  We love to catch up with old friends and make new connections.  Ellen & Sal do a wonderful job!!


There are a bunch of REALLY FUN special events going on at the retreat this year including Art Trunk vending, an Art Auction for charity and a special dinner with Jo Packham from Where Women Create.


We hope to see you there!!!


digital art by Pamela Huntington
The East Coast Art Trunk is a mixed media feast of color, texture, and original art.

Saturday, 9 October: 7pm - 11pm

FREE ENTRY

To be held in conjunction with "The Miracle of You Art Auction"

Fabulous vendors including:  NavelJelly Studios, Paverpol, Absolutely Everything, Collage Closet. Sue Pelletier, Cheryl Strait, Weaving Edge, Every Day is a Holiday, Dara diMagno, Francine Vorbeck. 
This gathering of vendors will sell art papers, kits, beads, frippery, collage sheets, fibers, yarns, fabrics, unique vintage and contemporary items plus all your supplies for rubber stamping, scrapbooking, art dolls, collage, assemblage, art quilts, steam punk jewelry and altered art.  Entry is free to all, with a donation to the Little Baby Face Foundation encouraged.
Located at the hub of Art is...You - the East Coast Art Retreat, the 2010 Art Trunk promises to be extra special with the "Art is...The Miracle of You" Auction occuring in conjunction with it.  Proceeds from the auction will be donated to The Little Baby Face Foundation.  Faculty, students and artists from around the country are submitting works to this fund raising event.

Friday, September 17, 2010

unexpected

we received a complete surprise...a gorgeous photo of our farm was published in a national magazine

one of our antiques dealers brought in the magazine, flipped the pages excitedly and said..."you have got to see this..."


our jaws dropped

I was so tickled and spent the day grinning from ear to ear
not only is it a magazine I adore but it was a glorious surprise
to see our humble farm as the feature photo to a major article.
check it out - its wonderful with some really great articles
(they even have a "Urban Farm" mag for all the city folks)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

apple pie, part 2

when we bought our farm, I remember my mother exclaiming with great delight..."this is a pie kitchen!" and I smiled with anticipation

as I mentioned in my earlier post "apple pie, part 1" we have been making utility pies for several years now and it is the perfect way to begin my favorite season and get into my nesting mode
you can read the original post here and apple pie, part 1 here

and so without further ado ... part 2, making the pies...

our apple pie recipe has been lovingly passed down several generations and

it is downright yummy and I'd like to share it with you

***MOM'S APPLE PIE***

PIE FILLING

Ingredients:  1 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of salt, 4 TBsp flour, 6 cups mixed apple varieties cut into 1/2" sized cube, 2 TBsp melted butter

Peel and cut apples into 1/2" size cubes.  


This is a little trick handed down through the family and is important for perfectly cooked apples.


Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutbeg, salt and flour.  Mix apple pieces with the melted butter.  Pour sugar mixture over the apples and toss.  Turn into a pie pan with bottom crust already in place (see below), mounding the apples in the center.

PIE CRUST
Ingredients:  2 cups flour, 3/4 cup shortening, good pinch of salt, 4-5 TBsp ice water

Refrigerate bowl, pastry cutter and fork until ready to use.  Sift flour with salt.  With a pastry cutter, cut shortening into the flour.  Sprinkle ice water a TBsp at a time into mixture and mix lightly with a fork.

Shape into two balls and roll out one ball to fit your pie pan.

Use a liberally floured and sugared surface, rolling lightly from the center out.  Fold in half, then in quarter and transfer to the pie plate.

Let edges hang over for now.  Add apple filling.

Repeat steps with your second ball for the top crust.  Once in place, remove the real excessive overhang.  Turn both crusts under and pinch or crimp together.  Cut vents in the center.

BAKE FOR 15 MINUTES IN A PREHEATED OVEN AT 425, THEN REDUCE HEAT TO 375 FOR 30 MINUTES MORE.

RELAX and enjoy the smell of a baking apple pie.
Let cool a bit, then eat!

*UTILITY PIES:  Do not pre-cook.  Wrap in heavy duty foil and freeze pies.  Bake the frozen pie at 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 for 45 minutes more.

Monday, September 6, 2010

apple pie, part 1

my favorite season is upon us - cozy sweaters, bonfires, crunchy leaves and of course APPLES!

my mom, sister and i started a family tradition a few years ago - we set aside a full day and make apple pies
we work together assembly line style and crank out many, many pies...chatting and giggling along the way...then we freeze them and split them between us.  We call them utility pies (although they are much prettier then it sounds) because they are at the ready to enjoy throughout the winter.  We also bake one off immediately to enjoy & celebrate our efforts.

this year my sister was unfortunately sick on apple pie day which bummed us out BUT our apple pie army grew to include my dad, my uncle and my nana & grandpa

our adventure began in the orchard...
we needed ALOT of apples
my parents mini dachshund joined in the fun
her name is Daytona but we call her "Stick o' Butter"  (and our pup is Tub o' Butter)...don't ask...we are weird, I guess :)

after the recent storm we knew that drops would be perfect (and much less expensive)

we searched for good pie-making apples and crunched on some yummy Macintosh along the way

we walked and searched the rows of trees brimming with fruit
the air was crisp & the sun was shining - aaaahhhh - perfect!



the weather was beautiful and the orchard had so many wonderful country sights to see

a new friend

pumpkins of every shape, size and color


live folk music at the farm - hubby & must go and check this out


I just love these - warts & all


it took 2 of us to haul our harvest


stay tuned for part 2 - Making the Pies


Thursday, September 2, 2010

miniature masterpieces

I was sent an email yesterday that blew me away...have you ever seen Dalton Ghetti's work?
AMAZING pencil tip sculptures
Picture: DALTON GHETTI / SOLENT NEWS

Picture: DALTON GHETTI / SOLENT NEWS

Picture: DALTON GHETTI / SOLENT NEWS
Picture: DALTON GHETTI / SOLENT NEWS

I just love these

Picture: DALTON GHETTI / SOLENT NEWS

check out this link for more info and if you really get into it, google his name for all sorts of eye candy on the web
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