Not that this is unusual around my house - I usually cook from scratch. But I ramped it up a notch today.
It had been awhile since I had made pinto beans... I started soaking them yesterday (3/4 of a bag of pintos , 1/4 of a bag of black beans ), and then rinsed them this morning. I had 3 cups of frozen chicken stock (my own) - so I added that to the beans, and started them on a low flame. I chopped a medium onion, and a whole red pepper, and sauteed them in a small amount of bacon grease that was left over from breakfast.
YEP - sorry you missed bacon and waffles ;)
When the stock was melted I added the onion & pepper. Spices included a generous dash of home grown celery flakes (thanks Tom and Tracy), and the same of cilantro, cumin & fresh cracked black pepper.
I cooked the beans over high heat until they came to a boil, then turned them down to simmer - and went to take a nap for 2 hours.
Yes - the nap was justified - I woke up from a sorrowful dream at 1:30 last night and then tossed and turned until 4 a.m. Time to get up.
When I did get up (at 4 a.m.) I opened the package of stew meat, a Corona, cut open a lime, and chopped another onion.
In a bowl I combined the meat, 1/2 a bottle of the beer ( I had the rest with dinner), a dash of extra virgin olive oil, juice of a whole lime, and the onion. Spices also included cumin, cilantro and pepper.
When I got up after my nap :) ahhhhhhh... I stirred the beans and checked the heat - nice and low.
I took the meat out of the marinade and sliced it into smaller, bite sized pieces. Back into the marinade it goes. I warm a pan so that when the meat goes in - it sizzles. I reserve the marinade until the end. Once the meat has browned and has started to 'dry', I add a chopped heirloom tomato. This gets stirred around until the pan starts to de-glaze - then I add about 1/2 the marinade to finish the de-glazing and to create a bit of a sauce.
All ready! I served the meat on a flour tortilla sprinkled with shredded cheese, for my husband. For me - the same, only I added lettuce on top. The beans were the perfect tenderness, served on the side with a light sprinkling of finely shredded 'Mexican' cheese as well.
The flavors were complex and delicious. The spices were blended and yet you could still taste the individual flavors. I had the other 1/2 of the Corona with a slice of lime, my husband had iced tea (a staple in our house).
have a great evening - until next time, Liz
This is another part of my order I sent off to the Cane Garden Bay Surf Shop this past week.
Fun and colorful is what they were asking for - and I had some playful ideas for necklaces.
Some that were simple
Some that were silly
Some that were a little snarky
Some that were a little dark
And last but not least - my message in a bottle - complete with a tiny fish hook, baby shells, AND - a handmade 'treasure map' - my favorite thing to make as a child. Wait... and still is - does this mean something? ;)
Have a great weekend! Liz
Here the cards are - all completed - I just sent the whole box of goodies off today.
This was the first style of cards I had sent out.
The second style of card had a bit more movement - you can see what the wave shape of the rubber stamp does for the card.
These were fun to create.
And of course the great photos help
Then I had to match up pages to the cards - to make the envelopes!
Some I love - some I think are just OK - but that's the way with any artist isn't it?
We are sometimes our worst critics!
let's go surfin' now, everybody's learnin' how - come on and safari with me, with me, with me...
until then, Liz
I am working on the preliminary stages of my surf cards and I thought I would show how one color of ink - looks so unique on different colors of card stock.
This set shows neon pink ink on bright pink and orange cards.
Bright blue ink on kelly green, pale green, lime, and turquoise stock.
Yellow ink on pale yellow and school bus yellow stock, as well as pink ink on coral and school bus yellow stock.
A variety of inks - silver, blue, and multi-hued on the violet/purple family of card stock.
I have already combined the large magazine page (that will become the envelope) with these cards. Now to find images that coordinate or contrast - for a layering effect over my stamped 'wave'. I'll share those with you later!
Until then, xo, Liz
Sweet Annie - it always smells like Fall to me.
There are a lot of Artemesia's in the herbal world - Silver
Queen, Silver King, are just a few. These are a pale gray
perennial and they have their own distinct, but mild scent.
Sweet Annie is also in the Artemesia family - Artemesia Annua. It gets it's name from it's sweet scent, (it smells like Fall to me!), and, because this plant is an annual - (Annie). It is the only annual in this family - luckily for us, it reseeds itself.
Years ago, when I was doing some huge juried craft shows, I would drive to a pig farm over in West Virginia and literally harvest an entire pick-up truck load. I would make tons of everlasting - arrangements, wreaths and 'trees' out of it.
This plant - unlike many herbs - loves rich soil; and so - it loves my 'smallish' pasture out behind our house, where Sweet Pea, my pony, and Donkey, my donkey reside. It is much nicer to spend time out there with them - harvesting this herb, than having to drive all that way!
And company they are. Sweet Pea walks right up to me and wants to see what I'm doing. Donkey does this little 'stealth' trick. He sort of comes near me...and then s.l.o.w.l.y. backs in to me until his back end is up against my leg. Of course they both LOVE to be petted and scratched.
Sweet Annie is an attractant for two FABULOUS garden insects - Lady Bugs and Praying Mantis. Lady bugs, in the early stages, are a tiny, long and narrow black and red critter. I tell everyone who purchases bundles of the herb, that the baby lady bugs are more likely to come along in your package - just shake them outside - your garden will love you!
Because Praying Mantis are larger to start with - I usually spot them before they get packed up.
Here I am weighing out 2 half pound pre-orders that I shipped off yesterday. Boy are those boxes fragrant when I take them up to the post office!
These little yellow buds are what is so fragrant. This plant makes beautiful bases for herb wreaths, smells good when you put a tiny bit in your vacuum cleaner, and looks pretty in fresh floral arrangements too!
Sorry there isn't a scratch and sniff component to the computer - it smells like Fall to me!
Until then... xo, Liz
Please VOTE for ME!!
http://americanmade.marthastewart.com/profiles/elizabeth-pickett-1008#
Sometime in August I saw a post on Etsy's blog? about a contest called American Made sponsored by Martha Stewart. And I entered...
This was the product I started with - my Patriotic Ribbon Wreath - but I also included
My Colors of Nature Ribbon Wreath
Polka Dot Daisies Ribbon Wreath
White Chocolate Ribbon Wreath
Spring Green Nest Ribbon Wreath
Pleated Skirt Recycled Envelopes Card
Bow Tie Recycled Envelopes Card
FistiCuff Men's Tab Top Cuff
and my Tab Top Key Chains
The voting starts today - September 7th and ends September 24th.
Vote early and share 'viral' ly - thanks!!
http://americanmade.marthastewart.com/profiles/elizabeth-pickett-1008#
Love ya, Liz
Also could be sub-titled: Don't throw that away - I can use it!!
I am currently working on 4 different projects - all a collection of items which will be sent off to the Cane Garden Bay Surf Shop in the British Virgin Islands. I have a whole stack of surf magazines - where as you can see - it is all about the photo. These magazines are all eye candy when it comes to waves, ads, etc... Needless to say - that means these magazine pages make great envelopes and cards. My first set of surf cards all had the same type of look - so I wanted to change it up a bit for this next order.
I have looked everywhere - for some time now - for a wave stamp. A stamp that was big enough to cover an A2 sized card. Nothing. So what to do?? If you're me - you make your own!
A fellow paper enthusiast gave me a bunch of rubber pieces that had been trimmed from rubber stamps. They knocked around here for a while - but it finally got to the point where I had to make the stamp.
I took the pieces and just followed the edge with my scissors - the lines and curves that were already there. I mixed up small batches of epoxy - and started to 'lay out' my wave. We are not exactly talking a 'pretty' stamp here - but it is certainly functional.
And as you can see - it almost has a linoleum or wood block print look to it. This will be my background to the next set of surf cards that I make. They will be more 'collage like' with this inked under layer.
So the next time you need something - and can't find it out there on the WWW - do what I would do - make it!
Good Luck :) Liz
