Clones

Johnny Norms made this cool picture for our Moleskine exchange.  I made it big and copied it and made it bigger and BOY do I have some of the same issues!  I am working on a novel (actually more than one of them), and on a poetry manuscript about a brain-damaged girl named Geraldine, and on a children's picture book, and on the sketch project, and on photography, and on Christmas gifts, cards, ornaments etc, plus I am a wife and mother and have often wished I could clone myself so I could follow various threads of interest.  I would also like a clone to learn music, something I gave up after school.  And one to do sports.

I figured that's where all the people on earth came from, because God kept cloning herself so she could try all the things she wanted to try, LOL!

snow

I myself shoveled for well over two hours, but didn't get any pictures
of myself, becase I was concentrating on shoveling. These pictures
really don't do justice to the scene at all. There was a lull in
storm and it doesn't look as bad as it was.

Creative Soup cooking with Soup "Recipe"

This is a soup recipe Nadine could maybe use, as the basic recipe has only a few ingredients.

I spent the entire morning shoveling and am going to have to go out and resume momentarily. Hope to get some pictures, too!

I came in tired and hungry and I hadn't been able to go to the store because of the weather, so I didn't have what I wanted for lunch. I like to challenge myself to make something both healthy and tasty from what I have on hand. And since I was cold from shoveling, I made a simple soup. I had made another different one earlier in the week I'd intended to write about but never had time. So today I thought I'd rest before resuming shoveling by writing this down. The soup came out great.

Basic 4-ingredient soup (with additions later)

1. water
2. vegetable (s)
   
3. protein (s)
   
4. salt (and spices, opt)
   

OK, those are your basic ingredients for soup.

Now, how to do it:

1. measure about a cup of water per person, more if you're very hungry. (No that water won't make you satisfied by itself, but will provide space for the other ingredients.) Use a pan that is somewhat larger than the amount you want, but not a lot larger. (More energy efficient, quicker, more environmental, more economical). Bring to a boil.
   
2. While the water is heating, choose one or more vegetables. If more than one, choose some you like that go well together. Cut them into bite-size pieces (any size you like--smaller ones cook faster.) Today I used spinach and zucchini. I often use broccoli. For each person, as 1/2-3/4 c vegetables (You can use more or less depending on whether you like your soup chunky or brothy), finely cut--or however you want them. Put them in the boiling water.
3. Choose a protein. Tofu works. Beans. Fish, shrimp, chicken, or any combination you like together. I had chicken today. Cut into bite-size pieces (or any size you like). Add 2-4 oz about the amount that the palm of your hand would make if cut up. add to soup pot. Cook briefly, about 5 minutes.
   
4. salt to taste. Pepper, garlic powder opt. (Sprinkle salt over the pan).
   

Presto, a simple soup. Tasty and nutritious.

OK, for the additions.

1. you can add a little wine or balsamic vinegar--I added vinegar to mine today, just a little--careful, not too much. 1 1/2 t vinegar or 2 T wine. Or you can add both. I like both, but BB does not.
   
2. fresh onion and garlic--saute in butter or olive oil. add 1 rounded tablespoon flour. Add a little of the broth in, mix it in, then add the onion and garlic to the soup--presto--a thicker, spicier soup. Use one small to medium clover of garlic and or a few slices of onion. I did not use these today.
3. Milk or cream--mmmm--cream soup. Use less water to start with and add the equivalent amount of milk or cream--near the end. If you put the cream or milk in a jar with a rounded T flour and shake, and then pour it into the soup, it will thicken the soup--or you can saute flour in butter or olive oil as above--don't do both. One or the other. I can have dairy, so I didn't do this, but I often do it for BB.
4. starch: add any kind of pasta in small quantities, or rice--cook it first unless it's quick cooking, or use left-overs, or potato, or oatmeal--yes oatmeal--it's good in soup--or barley, or cous cous. I love little pastinas. I have many varieties, but used none today. Also beans, peas, garbanzos etc. (making pea soup or lentil soup is a little different).* But you can add some to your soup--best if they are already leftovers or if you precook them--otherwise they take too long to cook for this recipe
   
5. aromatic herbs and spices--experiment. Start out with just a little. I like to add jerk spices or hot spices or basil, etc. Today I added none of those. I made a simple but yummy soup.
6. gumbo: use chicken or fish, or tofu, add shrimp, and sausage. Be sure also to add Okra if you can get it. Just a few for authenticity, slices crosswise fairly thin.
7. Leftovers--soup is a good way to use up small portions of leftovers! You can make a yummy kitchen sink soup with various things from the fridge--everything but the kitchen sink. A good stirfry or even a good salad can make a good soup later.
8. au jus, broth--save your meat and veggie dripping and broth to add to your soup--mmmm!
9. eggs: egg drop and egg flower soups are yummy, just drop an egg into the hot soup and cook till it's done for egg drop, or stir for egg flower.
10. tomatoes, V8 juice, tomato juice. For a really quick tomato-based soup, if you're in a hurry, use V8 juice, or tomato juice. Other wise, dip tomatoes in boiling water and pull off the skins. This is easier than it sounds--use a slotted spoon for dipping them.
    
11. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Start simple, and when you're confident, experiment. It's tasty, nutritious, and warming on cold days!

*To make pea soup or lentil soup, follow the simple directions on the dry peas/lentils package--they don't have to be soaked--but cook them longer than it says too for better flavor. If you want help with that, let me know. It takes about 45-hour to make good pea or lentil soup, with onions and garlic and carrots. You can do something else while it's cooking, just stir occasionally--and the leftovers are even better than when it's fresh.

And be "Creative Every Day " in everything you do!

Snow (bullets of)

Various Bullets, Friday, December 19, 2008; 11:42 AM

* the weather IS pretty bad, pretty snowy! I shoveled an hour and a half and got the drive done, and side walk and porch etc, but of course while I'm shoveling on one end, it's filling up on the other.

* After I had shoveled about an hour, Matthew Lovely (?) from a couple houses down came over with the snow-blower to help—did the “wall at the end of the driveway (I’d made two paths through it) and up through between the two houses (I’d made one path through to feed the birds (and YES, in spite of the heavy snow, there have been birds), and he did the back part of the driveway (I'd made a path to the garage and to the garbage cans and a couple other paths to mark the width of the driveway.) I had done the lower part of the driveway, the public sidewalk, our sidewalk, the porch, and a bit around my car in the street--but then the plow went by yet again and filled it all in again. After Matthew snow-blowed (snow-blew?) the driveway, it took me 40 more minutes to get it finished and shovel some more around my car.
* Should we send the Lovelies a Christmas card and or Thank you note? If it was in fact a Lovely; I think it was.

* The man next door on the other side came out after I'd already been shoveling at least 45 minutes and started blowing his driveway. As usual, he began blowing snow behind my car so I went over and stood behind the car and started shoveling it out--he went up the driveway and stopped blowing there. I went away and he came back and blew a little more behind my car but seemed to be being more careful. I was shoveling in front of the car and he walked over and said, "When it is going to snow, could you park your car in the driveway so there won't be a wall in front of my driveway." He was polite but sounded annoyed and said he was going to be late for work because he didn't expect to have to shovel a 4-foot wall of snow (instead, he expected to snowblow it all behind my car, like he usually does--he didn't say that, but that's what I was thinking.). The problem for me is, if I want to get out, I also have to get back in. I told him that you have to leave at 5:30 in the AM and would have to dig out two cars instead of one, but that I would talk to you. I suppose if we were expecting a blizzard, we could park my car between the buildings and yours behind it, just in front of the sidewalk. I told him I would talk to you about it. I wonder if we're going to have a harder winter after two easier ones. I forgot to mention that after that man next door said that he was going to be late to work, I went over and helped him shovel the 4 foot wall in front of his driveway--probably for at least 15 minutes during which time and for some time afterward while I was shoveling, I did not have the timer running. So I may have shoveled significantly more. He did say thank you for helping him, if a bit sullenly. I'm not sure moving my car will solve his problem, but I guess we could try.

* I did not sleep very well last night or the night before (to say nothing of the night before that when I was up all night.) I'm pretty tired now from all that shoveling and I expect to shovel more before you get home. I have done nothing else at all other than eat breakfast, do my exercises, and write this note.

* And talk to Piano Boy. He had no school and came out while I was shoveling and asked if he could go to Jay's. I said I guessed so, IF he had eaten and if his room was clean. He said he had and it was and he left. When I cam in quite a long time later, I looked at his room and of course it was NOT clean. He probably did NOT eat, either.

* My packages have not come yet. They gave me a nice narrow window--8 AM until 7 PM--last time they said that they came at 7:45 PM--and with the weather like this . . . But I cannot leave, say to walk to the store and get milk etc, for fear they will actually come.

*It has snowed a LOT more--I need to go out and take more pictures!

Medusa Detail for Creative Every Day

Medusa Detail for Creative Every Day, by Mary Stebbins Taitt, for
Creative Every Day. Click here for the whole picture.

I've been doing a bunch of other stuff too: Sketch of woman and
Poinsettias, gift card paintings NOTE Mrs. Claus and the elves request
you NOT click here if you may be a recipient of gift cards.

I also created two meatloaf recipes last night for dinner for
different health needs. AND . . . made bunches more cards than I can
ever post here!

Two Detail shots from Pointsettia sketch

For my "CED" challenge (Creative Every Day). See the entire skecth here.

A Private Tea Party

I just had a cup of tea in commemoration of the 235th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. :-)

(PS--if you haven't yet seen the videos of BB playing with the crane sculptures, view them here.)

Crossing the Fractal Moon

Crossing the Fractal Moon, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. This is my
Creative Every Day post #1. I joined last night, and I did this piece
last night, but was unable to post it. SO it is actually for
yesterday. This is a DETAIL or crop from the full picture, which you
can see here, along with a description of how I made it.

Often my creativity is sparked by an outside influence, in this case,
the original fractal flame, made on Apophysis. I liked it and wanted
to use it but had no idea what I wanted to do with it until I was
fooling around and added the circle. I had been thinking "abstract"
but the circle became a moon so I added the goose and the reeds. It
may be a tired or clicheed idea, but I think the execution of it is
fresh and creative.

Creative Every Day

I just joined a challenge for 2009 called Creative Every Day over at Leah's blog. I will NOT be posting about it every day, but I committed to BEING creative every day and writing about it sometimes. I didn't feel too worried about joining the challenge because I already AM creative every day. I write poems and stories, I do art and I am a creative cook and problem solver. So expect to see soem creative every day posts, some of which may link to some of my other blogs/sites.

A card for Laura Lindow

Laura Lindow is PB's piano teacher. I have been making cards to give her Tuesday when he has his last lesson of 2008. This is one of them.