October Fest

October

cool cool rain.. flannel..fleece..corduroy
black cats. scarecrows. family birthdays
Happy Birthday Sarah, Victor and Jim

blankets
warm rich colors red russet orange yellow ochre rust sanguine
mulled cider. hot toddy
sitting inside on a cloudy fall day sipping soup and hot tea
the feel of a soft flannel shirt

Oh, no, I'm not ready for cold cold weather...we have baked all summer, please, oh please give us our properly allotted Autumn. The days are already short, the air crisp and nippy in the morning and the evening. Let there be days of soaking up warm sun while picnicking on a mountain ride.

painting - Aubergine Apparition

A Chili in the Air..

summer wanes. cool nights. windows open. apples. pumpkins. pies. drives in the mountains. apple cider. tailgating. state fairs. autumn colors. mums.

chowders. stews. planting the winter garden. collard greens, kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, lettuce, parsley. raking leaves.

September

I think it's time for some chili.

White Chicken Chili

2 TBS. Olive Oil
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can diced green chiles
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup tomatillo sauce
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups diced cooked chicken
2 TBS. cumin
1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white hominy (Maiz Pozolero), drained and rinsed
Juice of 1 lime

In a Dutch Oven, saute onion, pepper, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add green chiles and cilantro and stir to blend. Add Tomatillo sauce, chicken stock and cumin. Stir well and add cooked chicken. Add beans and hominy and lime juice. Stir and simmer for one to two hours. Serve garnished with avocado, roasted red peppers and cilantro.

Enjoy!

Read All About It!

It started with a gift. "Life Is A Verb", a book, a birthday gift from my dear friend, Donna. Oddly, in it's relation to 37 days, I had little more than 37 days to become one of the many unemployed. As I plunged headfirst into a world I knew little of, I grasped at every thread to find, remold, educate and express myself to move onward and upward.

I found that giving of my talents and energy to good causes has been a life raft amidst the flood of Bureaucratic BS, my being a small fish in an ocean of others searching for their next landing as well.

"Life Is A Verb" is a captivating and inspiring book by writer, Patti Digh from Asheville NC. When I learned last summer that Patti was composing a new book, I signed on to contribute an illustration. A most Happy Moment came for me in being accepted as one of the artists from around the world whose work would go to print. Another most Happy Moment was to receive my copy of the finished product, "Four Word Self Help". It is available to you September 1, 2010. I urge each and all to explore the concept of these simple yet deeply meaningful thoughts composed by someone who, in my book, is a very wise woman.

Read Book Be Enlightened

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday little man...he is the forerunner for our family in this millennium. He is the inspiration for all the story telling that started here in Claude's Cove.
He is one very special boy.

Succulence

I recently found an oasis of color and vibrance at the center of the state farmer's market in the midst of a long hot summer. A distinguished man in a straw hat distributed bouquets of loveliness to many who came looking for a splash of nature's color to bring home. Sweet Williams, Gladiolas, Dahlias, so many dramatic specimens that I don't begin to know all the names of. Many walked away smiling with bountiful color in hand.



My pick was a current obsession with succulents. The plant vendor had a fine variety in colors and clusters. My choice was a Sempervivum, also known as hen and chicks.



I've had an interest in doing a painting of a single one. I sometimes become overcome with these visions of things that I must paint, as with things I must cook, places I must go, and so on.

I also procured a few nice sweet onions and some local fresh okra for making more okra pickles.
I was sad to see that the hot pepper farmer from last summer was not there. We do have our own small crop, and on the "to do" list is "make hot sauce", but the vision of his table last summer was colorfully stunning.

I also ran into an old friend, which made the day complete. There is nothing like a good tailgate market in midsummer for visiting, for inspiration, for awesome fresh food and healthy eating and for seeing the vast abundance that nature gives us. Its great to have these bright and cheerful places to go and find succulents, and other stuff.

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
-Thomas Edison

______________

I think that I shall drink a peach.



Peachtree Punch

This luscious and creamy smooth refreshment was invented for the opening of Trader Vic's in Atlanta, one of our all time favorite places to visit. It is a tried and true recipe and an astonishing elixir for what ails in this onerous summer.

1 medium fresh peach, peeled, pitted, and quartered
1½ ounces silver rum
2 ounces orange juice
¼ ounce coconut syrup
¼ ounce peach liqueur
1½ cups crushed ice, plus additional ice cubes
1 sprig mint, for garnish
Grated nutmeg, for garnish
Red wine or double old-fashioned glass

Reserve one of the peach quarters. Combine the remaining three peach quarters, rum, orange juice, coconut syrup, peach liqueur, and crushed ice in an electric blender and pulse for a few seconds, just until uniformly combined. Pour into the glass and add ice cubes to fill. Garnish with the remaining peach quarter, skewered on a cocktail pick, and the mint sprig. Dust with grated nutmeg.

Recipe from "Trader Vic's Tiki Party!", by Steve Siegelman, Ten Speed Press, a fantastic guide of history, party planning and recipes for cocktails and food.

Ladies of the Lake

July was the annual girls camping trip. For four days we floated and floundered on the shores of Lake Jocassee. We ate like queens. We told stories, watched shadows in the moonlight, painted pictures and knitted and purled for as long as we wanted.


White morning glories hung like dew drops from the banks of the water's edge. Hardwoods towered above us while large feathered friends crowed about.

Boat tour with hospitable friends.. visions of waterfalls. ferns. moss. and rainbow. Riding roof top...laughing ladies sliding, splashing. Cody and Cinnamon happy smiling.


Ahhhh,...a mini break..

photos by M.Palmarita