Thursday, January 31, 2013

Stew for breakfast? Why not?

Dawn-Marie is a fabulous cook.  She is amazing to watch in the kitchen as she prepares delicious items that she usually shares with others, especially ME.  I have sat many times at her kitchen table while she prepared a delicious lunch for me after we meet on Mondays.  She dances around the kitchen and makes the most difficult recipes seems so easy. Her actions in the kitchen have encouraged me to be a bit more adventurous in mine and so that brings us to this morning's breakfast that I enjoyed. 

I got up early to make Green Pork Stew.  Dawn-Marie made this for me a while back and it was so awesome that I made it for my husband a couple of days later.  We love this delicious stew and often crave it as I did yesterday.  I knew I had to make it soon and so this morning decided to do so and let it simmer all day on the stove.  Well, I decided to "taste test" some and ladled out a bowl for breakfast.  I can't think of a better way to start the day.




Here is the recipe:

1 pork roast cut up in bite sized chunks
1 large onion, diced
1 T minced garlic
1 T cumin
1 large can (or 2 small) green enchilada sauce
1 can hominy
2 yucca roots, peeled, sliced and cored
Chicken broth...a couple of quarts, plus water, as needed

Brown pork in a little oil along with the onion or skip browning and cover pork with chicken broth.  While that starts to simmer, throw in everything else.  Add liquid to cover all ingredients by a couple of inches.  Once the pork is opaque and yucca starts to soften, you can taste for seasoning.  It will basically cook in about 40 minutes, but if you turn it down at that point and let it simmer very low for a few hours, it will thicken, and the flavors meld.  This one reheats beautifully.

Now that last statement on DM's recipe makes me laugh because we NEVER have any leftover.  We will eat absolutely every drop the day I make the stew.  Never fails.

So give this delicious stew a try.  Don't be intimidated by the yucca root either.  Simply cut the roots into 1 inch slices then cut each slice from the outside toward the core, letting it sort of break.  This will expose the core, which you can then pull out.  It is a thick thread, but impossible to remove full length.

If you enjoy this stew recipe, do check out 365Being as Dawn-Marie creates many fabulous recipes for this awesome publication.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Everybody wants Ann Viveros!


One of the artists you will meet in our Spring Issue of 365 Being is Ann Viveros, who dabbles in many art forms, but most especially draws and paints mandalas.  It's about a month away from your mailbox, but when it arrives, you will get to see some of her work, and read about the artistic process and her creative life.  Print subscribers will even find a color-your-own mandala that Ann drew just for us, tucked into the pages!

I'm playing with cover ideas this week.  What do you think of Ann's paintings layered over Chiaki O'Brien's weaving?  Not exactly pastel Easter bunnies, but I do promise there are some very calm page layouts in this issue; a little burlap and ticking, some almost sepia photos.  There are also some pretty colorful artists, like Ann.

Now, here's really cool news for those of you in the Twin Cities area:  Ann's had one of her works accepted into "Seeing God", a juried exhibit of sacred art, at the Benedictine Center of St. Paul's Monastery!
  The opening reception is tomorrow, Wednesday, January 30th, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. 
If you can't make it to the reception, the show stays up until March 15th. 

You can get the address and more information by clicking here:
St. Paul Monestary, Benedictine Center

Whether at the reception, or on our pages, we know you'll fall in love with this beautiful soul we are lucky enough to call our friend.  Don't miss out!

~Dawn-Marie

You can subscribe to our color saturated bookazine, 365 Being, in print or PDF, and single issues are also available for purchase.  Click on over:  365being.com/shop

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day

Tomorrow is a very special day.  January 28th is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day.  It is a day set aside for us to ponder all the ways Bubble Wrap has made our lives easier and also consider different uses for it.

I invite you to check out this link to see some videos and ways other people have utilized Bubble Wrap in their creativity.

http://www.fast-pack.com/bubblewrapappreciation.html

Have a great day and happy popping!!!

Friday, January 25, 2013

Getting Organized

This may seem like cheating and I don't really care.  Today is my turn to write the 365Being blog, but I so loved Dawn-Marie's blog from Art of the Home yesterday that I am using that for my blog post today.  Forgive me, DM, but this needs to reach a huge audience as you did such a great job on it. 

http://theartofthehome.blogspot.com/

Have a lovely day!!! Hugs to all!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Useful Winter Survival Tips

There are all kinds of articles on the web today about surviving brutally cold temperatures, and since they are full of all the usual sensible and scientific (dull) advice, I'll share my own little tips, and a few from friends, for getting through days where the high temperature is in the double digits below zero.  My friend Suzanne suggests plane tickets to Bora Bora, Jill champions denial, and Darla says get over it and get on out to Prairie Oaks Institute (prairieoaksinstitute.org/) for the potluck (which I did, and the soup and conversation were both excellent). 

Now, I lived in Fairbanks Alaska for 13 years, where there are parts of the winter when folks get pretty excited to see the temperature climb back up to -30 degrees, so I have a little experience with extreme cold.  My first tip for dealing with such cold?  Don't live in Fairbanks Alaska.  It's not nearly so extreme here in Minnesota.  Really. 

I wear shoes most of the time, but I've recently discovered the joys of slipper boots, thanks to a client who bought me my own, when I admired hers.  These things make my feet so toasty, it just radiates upward.  I'm not kidding about how much warmer I stay on slipper days. 

(Faux) Ocelot slippers, two pairs of yoga pants, and a big cup of very hot coffee are a great way to start the work day, when the cold is radiating in through the old walls of this 1906 house.  Not leaving the house to go to work is the second part of that suggestion, in case you missed it.  Self-employment sometimes has extra bennies, like when get-something-done-in-the-office days coincide with I'd-rather-face-the-mountain-of-filing-than-the-frigid-weather days. 
hot pants
If you must leave the house, layer on the leggings or long-johns under a nice toasty pair of jeans.  If putting them in the dryer involves running down to a cold basement in a turn of the century house, slipping them over a small radiator gets the job done.  Toasty! 

I think one of the nicest ways to spend an icy day is curled up with a favorite blanket and something really good to read.  If you make an all-day affair of it, a good novel, a trashy novel, and of course the winter issue of a certain bookazine would be my recommendation for a nice variety.  Hang in there, warmer temps are on the way, as is our spring issue.  Watch for both in late February or early March!

Stay cozy!
Dawn-Marie

Friday, January 18, 2013

Greyhounds Greyhounds Greyhounds

I love greyhounds.  I have two wonderful hounds--Deb and Hunter--that bring me such joy and happiness.  I adopted them through a wonderful organization called Greyhound Pets of American Minnesota.  These wonderful people help adopt retired racing greyhounds and find them forever homes.


Sometimes when hounds are brought off of the track, they need some extra medical attention.  Every year GPA MN has a fund raising dinner to raise money to pay for the medical care of these special hounds.  It is a wonderful evening for a very special cause.

Won't you join me this year at the event?  February 16 at Rose Vine Hall in Roseville, Minnesota.   Click here for the details:

http://www.gpa-mn.org/heal-a-hound-dinner.html

Can't join us?  Your donations are always welcome.  Visit the GPA-MN website:

http://www.gpa-mn.org

Deb, Hunt and I thank you!!!!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Start Your Gardens!

Okay, maybe it's a little early to actually start planting, but never too early to plan. 

DM here, bringing you tonight's post.

Tonight, the Valley Garden Club met at my house and saw a presentation given by Cory Whitmer, of The Mustard Seed, a nearby garden center.  Now, one of the lovely things about blogging on a site read by people who do not know me well is that nobody is snickering and making dandelion jokes, at the mention of me belonging to the garden club.  Lovely as that is, 365 Being is all about the perfectly imperfect life, so in the interest of full (hopefully inspirational) disclosure, no, I am not a gardener. 

I plant things that sometimes grow.  I even envision a wonderful public pocket park in my front yard, since I have almost the only shade in downtown Belle Plaine.  However, I love the rabbit that lives by my back gate, and am not particularly bothered by the mole hills that cross my yard like organic dot-to-dots.  I could win flower show competitions for largest dandelion, if they held such competitions.  So no, I'm not really a gardener.

I grow great zinnias though, and marigolds like me so much that they always come back the next year.  My secret is neglect and under watering.
 *  Put these in your front yard, and folks will overlook any weeds, junk or peeling paint beyond them.  Brilliant!   *
Now, for those of you who want to attempt something more than zinnias and dandelions, here are some of what Cory says will be the big sellers for our zone 4/5 climate, this year.  Some are very new to the market, so may be hard to get until next summer.  Sorry no photos, but google the names, or if you are nearby, check in with the folks at themustardseedinc.com to find out when they might be on view.

Annuals:
  • Sparks Will Fly Begonia - tangerine is the trend color for this year and probably next, even though polls show orange as the least favorite flower color.  This has bronze/lime foliage under orange flowers, and will take some shade. 
  • Whopper Begonias - These are big plants, almost twice the size of standard begonias, about 3' tall.  They are pink or red, and will do best in partial to full shade.
  • Chocolate Covered Cherry Coleus - OH WOW!!!  This is similar to Kong (I think I got that right), but it has just a rim of lime green around a dark plum-brown leaf with magenta centers.  About a foot tall, and likes shadier shade.  I think everyone put a star next to this on their list tonight.
  • Honey Crisp Coleus - Leaves are limier at the top of the plant, yellower toward the bottom, and the cool thing is that the undersides are red.  If you put this on your porch, you'll get a great effect from the street.  It likes full sun.
  • Everlast Dianthus - This can be planted earlier than most dianthus in our zone, has a longer bloom, more and hardier blooms, is very low maintenance, and if it starts to look shabby, you simply mow it with a high mower, and it will freshen right up.
  • Elephant Scarlet Gerbera - You know how Gerb's are such a big bloom?  Well these are even bigger, at about twice the usual size.  If you have a hard time with Gerberas, you are probably overwatering, Cory says.  They like it very dry.
  • 3D Berry White Osteospermum - This is mostly white with a purple center.  Like gerberas, they like it DRY.
  • Patchwork Cosmic Orange Impatiens - This made me think of Creamcicles with bites taken out.  Apparently the big thing breeders are after now is random splotchy patterns, rather than uniform two-tone stripes.  It's cute.
  • Cool Wave Pansies - These are a trademark Wave, so although new, well tested to perform.  They sprawl more, and will handle the heat far better than traditional pansies.
  • Blue A Fuse Petunia - Another of the new splotchy patterns, this petunia is purple and white.
  • Candy Cane Verbena - This is really sweet.  Hummingbirds apparently think so too.  The markings on the petals look like white hearts with dark pink edges.  It grows well under trees limbed up high, and needs very little water.
  • Blackberry Vinca - Blooms early and all through the season, prefers mostly sun, and as the name implies, it is a very dark, nearly black purple.  It's good ground cover, and nice in pots.

Perennials:
  • First Love Dianthus - Multiple colors of pink and white flowers on one plant, takes the heat well, and blooms all season.  Full sun.
  • PowWow White Echinacea - Apparently earlier white echinaceas (cone flower) were pretty floppy, but this new one has sturdy stems and a long blooming period.  I think they look like happy polka-dots.
  • Black Diamond Helleborus - These are the early bloomers that will pop up when snow still hangs on the ground in places.  Growing them in Minnesota has been nearly impossible, but this new variety has tested well.  It's another very dark purple flower, and well suited to woodland gardens.  I think they should test it in my side yard, don't you?
  • Pink Cat Nepeta (catmint) - Hummers and butterflies love this.  Blooms June through August, drought tolerant, but yes, it spreads.
  • Pike's Peak Purple Penstemon - Likes full sun, grows 2-3 feet tall, and is another drought tolerant hummingbird feeder. 
  • Red Rocks Penstemon - This one has red flowers with white throats, and will do well with a little shade.

Shrubs:
  • Bobo Hydrangea Paniculata- This has tons of white to green blooms on a 3 foot tall plant.  The stems are super sturdy, so it doesn't droop under the weight of the flowers, which looked like the more conical formation (I think that's the paniculata part), and it's deer tolerant, if that's a worry.  Deer stop about three blocks short of downtown, so I'm safe there.  Wandering drunks during our town festivals are a different issue.
  • Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea Paniculata - Did you fall in love with the Strawberry Vanilla Hydrangea, widely advertised in magazines last summer, but maybe not it's 6' height?  This is the same flower on a much shorter plant.  Blooms start white, then fade from the bottom up, changing to a rich pink.
  • Purple Boomerang Lilac - This was also widely advertised last year.  The price should be a little friendlier this year, and plants a little easier to find.  If you have ever wished lilacs lasted longer, thank your fairy godmother (or the breeder of this one).  It blooms from spring until the weather gets hot, then re-blooms after the doggiest days of August.  Cory says you can cut blooms and see new buds two weeks later!
  • Amber Jubilee Ninebark - This is 5-6 feet tall, and has gold/maroon/amber foliage (think spiky maple leaf shape, if you aren't familiar with ninebark) that holds it's color all season.  It will be paler in sunnier locations, and darker in shadier locations, but still with all it's colors.  I've had ninebark recommended more than once, so if I ever do get serious, I'm going for this one.
  • Little Devil Ninebark - This has been around a few years, but when Cory heard none of us were familiar with it, he gushed.  It's a shorty, just 3-4 feet tall, with purple foliage in full sun.  It's a good replacement for barberry, which is being put on the thug list, as it's invading wild areas.  Cory says this one doesn't put out suckers, which apparently some ninebarks do.

So, for all you gardeners out there who might look further into these, hopefully I spelled everything right, since you know spell check is about to turn my whole screen yellow.  Even I might study up a bit more on my favorites.  All our snow melted here, so the entire landscape is dull brown, and these slides were so juicy and vibrant, I can't help but be fooled into thinking that this could be the year I finally become a gardener. 

I have a good four months to plan.  Then again, I also have clients' walls to paint, a couple issues of a bookazine to publish, actually three, since the fall issue gets built in mid-summer, and some travelling to do.  Sigh.  Anyone out there want to practice their gardening skills on a beautiful dandelion patch in the heart of downtown Belle Plaine?

Wishing you gorgeous gardens, if only in your dreams,
Dawn-Marie, Dandelion Grower Extraordinaire

Thursday, January 10, 2013

SAORI Weaving

I am blessed to have two wonderful friends, Chaiki and Dan O'Brien, who introduced me to SAORI weaving several years ago.  When I was doing SAORI weaving, I loved that there were no set rules and I could create an item that reflected how I felt. I also loved weaving with others in a group and witness their creations while they evolved. Dan and Chiaki offer a great space in their home studio for people to come and experience SAORI.


Dan and Chiaki will be featured in the Spring Issue of 365Being. You will read not only about SAORI weaving, but also about these two delightful people and their other talents.  Chiaki is an enthusiastic Taiko drummer and Dan, a very talented author.


The Spring Issue is in its infancy as we are now gathering together the articles and photos to produce another fabulous bookazine for you.

We still have some copies of 365Being Winter Issue available for purchase via our website www.365being.com.  Check us out and support a wonderful publication that is upbeat, colorful AND HAS NO ADVERTISING!!! 

Have a colorful day!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Barb Kobe Class is coming up!!!

So, how are you liking the Winter Edition of 365 Being?  What?  Not a subscriber yet?  Print version is way cooler, but PDF is super affordable, so no reason not to check it out.  Shoot, you can even buy a single issue, if you're really nervous about commitment.  :) Link is at the top of the column to the right of this post.  Order now, then come back and read the rest of this!  Lots of you readers are commenting on the article about Barb Kobe, so I know you will be excited about this:

ARTFIELD OF DREAMS CLASS
February 1st through 3rd
at Maureen Carlson's Center for Creative Arts
(click here:  maureencarlson.com , then click on classes or calendar)

I made my 2013 game board this past weekend...
I got fancy with this year's game board.  Actually, I got lazy.  It was easier to recycle this frame and it's backing board (free because the glass over the picture was broken), than to clear enough space in my wood working area to cut a piece of plywood.  Barb supplies the 2' square for her class, so you don't have to worry about such things.

I haven't yet made the gatekeepers between the seasons, but I did decide to swap out my old playing piece for Dearheart, my Heroine character from my Creative Journey game board.  She can gallop back over to do a Heroine's Journey on occasion...

This is Dearheart, a.k.a. Tenacity Jane, when she isn't being quite so sweet.  Yee-haw! 

The darling duckling, along with his reminder leaf, has lived on my board from the start.  He's there to remind me that unlike "the female mallard, who assumes a dull, colorless hue so as not to attract predators" (read this in your best documentary narrator voice), I was not born to blend in...

Repeat after me, "YOU ARE NOT A DUCK!!!"
Very good.  Now, don't forget it.
This winged timepiece used to hang from the branches to remind me not to waste a precious minute, because time flies.  I let it sit at rest in the branches, now.  Why?  I've made peace with time, and with my own way of moodling long and slow, then accomplishing things in great leaps of activity.  Well, okay, mostly made peace...

Want to experience a more peaceful sense of time?  There's a class for that, too!  Barb is teaching another mixed-media class at Maureen's on Thursday, January 31st, called Playing With Time.  Find that on Maureen's website, too (maureencarlson.com).

Now, don't think for a minute that you can't take these classes because you live too far away.  Maureen's center has boarding facilities!  We so hope you will come and experience the magic of Maureen, and the fabulous teaching of one of our favorite teachers, Barb Kobe.  Cat and I actually met at Maureen's in a Barb Kobe class, you know.  Cat lives just a hop skip and a jump from the center (more like just a hop and a skip), and I'm only a few miles on down the highway.  We will surely pop in and say "hi" to our subscribers.  Shoot, I might even make you soup!

Hope to see you there!
DM

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Bucket List

I had never heard of a bucket list until the movie with the same name came out a few years ago.  The other day as I was going through a drawer, I discovered MY bucket list that I typed up early last year.  It read:

Some bucket list items...in no particular order

  1. Visit Hilltop--home of Beatrix Potter
  2. Meet Richard Simmons and hug him
  3. Be on Ellen DeGeneres show with DM and Barb G-S
  4. See where Gertrude Stein and Alice B. lived in Paris
  5. Meet, in person, one of my relatives in Poland while traveling with Romaine
  6. Drive a Porsche Boxster (or better yet, own it!)
  7. Spend a week with Steve in Cape May in the off season
  8. Cruise to Europe on the QE2
  9. Drive the whole length of the Lincoln Highway
10. Have an  original work of art made of ME in any medium

Number 10 surprises me as I am not a vain person.  I can't remember what prompted that to be added to the list.  I think it quite interesting that most of the items on my bucket list involves travel.  My dear friend, Ann Viveros, just last evening posted on facebook the following quote, "Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer." So very true!

Whether I get to scratch any of these wishes off my list, I don't know. I hope to.  Some would bring great opportunity to me, especially being on Ellen DeGeneres' show.  I admire her greatly and to have a chance to share with her 365Being along with DM and Barb G-S would be fabulous!!! Maybe she could have Richard Simmons as a guest that day too so I could scratch TWO items off my list.  What's the possibility that I arrive at her studio via the Lincoln Highway in a Porsche Boxster??????  LOL!!!Well,  I can dream can't I?

What would be on YOUR bucket list if you made one?

Have a stupendous day!

Hugs,

Cat