50!

50 seems like such a big number.
But then you meet Todd and that number diminishes.

Cheers to the youngest 50 year old I know!

What do you get your man when this big number rolls around?!
I wanted to make it big...something special...so for the 50 days leading up to his birthday Elias and I gave him one gift per day.
It was fun!
Some days were bigger (tickets to NYC/Peter Lugers), and some were smaller (toothpaste), some were personal (hand painted canvas from Elias), and some were silly ("It took me 50 years to look this good" t-shirt); but overall it seemed to be a hit.
You knew it went over well when you heard his guy friends telling their wives to do it for them!
Maybe I'll get 40 to 40 this summer?!
Hint, hint...

Since he didn't want a big party, I tried to pay attention to the small details...and I know from experience that cocktail napkins and matches do not go out of style in this household...

Seriously, the cake of all cakes.
Two layers of dark chocolate cake with peanut butter chips, two layers of "zebra" cake (Elias' addition), alternated and glued together with peanut butter cream cheese frosting.
The chips hide the imperfections...
With only one cake pan to my name, this took a LOT longer than one would assume...
labors of love...

Half Full Baby!

He may kill me for publishing this...

The birthday crown, courtesy of Elias

Todd's Bar

Todd's Bar set up for the family dinner.
Personalized 1965 poster;
I found out Todd was born the same year as the Pop-Tart! It was meant to be!

Not a very good picture, but these individual crab and avocado salads were to die for.
Yay me.

Ready to party!
Yes, that balloon has been inflated since Father's Day!?!

The Bar List...not that anyone used it.
I should have known; A bowl of lemon peels was sufficient with our crowd...but it looked pretty!

Party hardy!

Boom!

The End

I wish I had more pictures of the food and party, but it was a success!

Happy Birthday Dada.

We love you. 
Cheers to making next half overflow!

xoxoxoxoxo

2016!

Food for Thought

I just got an email from my gym that read "The average person gains 6-10 pounds over the holiday season..."

Let the holiday baking begin!

There is actually nothing special about this pie, but thought this was a cool shot.

Have a great Thanksgiving week dear friends!

Outstanding in the Field

Due to the fact that we live on a small (very) farm, my husband thought that going to eat dinner in the middle of a field with a bunch of strangers was the most ridiculous concept ever. 

That's why when the summer tour schedule of 'Outstanding in the Field' was launched,

 I bought myself a pair of tickets, for my birthday;

this way, there was no argument.

No asking.

No begging.

No agreeing.

So, with the date set, and the room booked, we set out for Sharon Springs, NY & The Beekman Farm on a beautiful summer day. 

Happy Birthday to me!

Look! There are our plates on top in blue!
I made these in Grad School, and couldn't have been happier to bring them to such an event.

The table is set!

Todd and I in front of The Beekman House

Star-struck

Bleeeeet!

Look! I got him to smile!

The Menu

The Chefs & Outstanding in the Field Director

The highlight; meeting Brent and Josh of Beekman 1802; they were the most lovely, gracious hosts. So friendly and personable.
Thank you for signing all of my (your) cookbooks, and opening your home to us!

What a great time & one thing off of my bucket list.

Click here for their winter schedule:

www.outstandinginthefield.com

Bon Appetit!

Food Series

I am so delighted to send these babies off to Old Forge, New York to be exhibited at Five Corner's Cafe this Fall!

This series is more whimsical than a lot of my past work, and draws from my love of food and gardening. 

You will see that I've actually incorporated natural dies made from concentrations of coffee and alcohol in the painting process, and stay tuned as I am working on a few more pieces that are made strictly with natural dies. 

Come see them for the "First Friday Artwalk," and then again all winter!

"Roots I"
2015
Mixed Media: Gouache, Graphite, Concentrations of Coffee, and Vodka on Canvas
18x24

"Circus Harvest"
2015
Mixed Media: Gouache, Graphite, and Vodka on Canvas
18x24

"Bounty"
2015
Mixed Media: Gouache, Graphite, Concentrations of Coffee and Vodka on Canvas
24x30

"Roots II"
2015
Mixed Media: Gouache, Graphite, Concentrations of Coffee, + Vodka on Canvas
18x24

"Bumper Crop"
2015
Digital Photograph Taken on iPhone 5s
16x18

"Tomato Spectrum"
2015
Digital Photograph Taken on iPhone 5s
16x16

"Roots III"
2015
Digital Photograph Taken on iPhone 5s
16x16

"Harvest"
2013
Digital Photograph Taken on iPhone 4s
24x24

"Adirondack Spring"
2013
Mixed Media: Gouache, Oil, Alcohol and Salt on Canvas
36x36

Thank you Paul and Kathy for exhibiting my work again this Fall and Winter!

I love seeing my work in my favorite restaurant!

For those of you not in the know, check them out; it is hands down the place to stop for dinner and drinks if you are in Old Forge:

www.fivecornerscafe.com

See you guys there!

Nash-tastic

Yesterday we had the best mini-vacation. 

We drove the rural routes three and a half hours north to the small town of Sharon Springs, New York.

So quaint.

So full of history and promise.

We stayed at this great little joint called 'The Nash," and it made our trip.

Once an old bank and general store, this wonderful couple has renovated it into an amazing gem.

The rooms were sleek, simple and very clean.

The restaurant had an amazing menu and wine list.

These people have taste.

www.thenashny.com

But that isn't what made the stay.

The owner Jim made the stay;

He was so lovely, hospitable, fun and kind.

It was evening cocktails with him at their refurbished bar after our event that made the trip...

Thank you Jim and Norm for having us; 
the wonderful and plentiful wine, 
the gracious hospitality, 
the clean room to rest our heads,
 the top notch, farm fresh breakfast...all of it.

I wish that The Nash was closer because I would be there all of the time. 

I also wish we could have stayed for dinner! 

Breakfast was a sure indication that the meal would be ground shaking.

I guess we will just have to return!

To eat. 

To drink.

To play 'Cards Against Humanity'. 

To Enjoy Life.

ps. When you go, take a moment to look at the wooden floors.

Norm sanded the entire space by hand!!!

Coloring Books Aren't Just for Kids, Right!?

Oh dear...

Here comes another addiction.

Watch out.

In my futile attempt to unplug, I dug out a coloring book I purchased a few years ago, along with my son's Crayolas and went to town.

Then, due to the fact that I am obsessive and detail oriented, I went out and bought a fancy-dancy set of fine tip markers and a few advanced coloring books.

What a great fetch!

It sounds cheesy, but this is really relaxing and therapeutic. 

You can tell that I obviously didn't unplug 100%...hence the numerous photos and Instagram posts documenting my new found obsession.

But, at least I didn't max out my data...

I even relinquished control and gave Elias a chance!

This boy.
You can tell he means business when the tongue comes out!

...I had to include this one...

So, in all seriousness, this is officially my new hobby, and I can't recommend it enough. 

Now you all know what you will be getting for Christmas....

And if you can't wait for the holidays, 

you can purchase these coloring books on Amazon or at any Barnes & Nobles, and it is definitely in your best interest to pick up a high quality set of fine tip markers at any arts and crafts store (AC Moore, Michael's)...and don't ever pay full price! 

They always have sale coupons in their flyers or online. Most times you can get at least 40% off. 

Regardless, if you invest in a good set they will give you the most control over details, better results, and will last forever.

Enjoy!

Local Flair + Art a la Carte

I never win anything, so I feel the need to shout this from the roof-tops.

A gallery in our town had a foodie-photo contest named 'Art a la Carte;' 

intrigued by the name, and my inherent competitive nature, 

I entered a number of photos just to see if any might be of notice.

Much to my delight I was selected as a winner!

Yay me!

Pick up the most recent edition of 'Local Flair' magazine to see not only my photo, but the images of the other winning photos as well.

Or better yet, drop by 'Soho in the Burg' on Main Street to see the images in person!

"Bounty"
Taken + filtered on my iPhone 5s using Instagram
2013

Celebrating with my man at Quench

The Harvest Issue of Local Flair Magazine;
Pick it up and turn to page 16:)

The owner of Soho in the Burg took the cover shot!
It matches my super yummy green juice!

Thank you Local Flair Magazine and Soho in the Burg for such a fun contest! 

Veggetti Craze

Alright, I know this is old news, 

but the 'Veggetti' is an absolutely amazing kitchen tool. 

I just have to give it a shout-out.

I know it sounds like some sort of disease or dirty condition, but it isn't;

 It is this crazy little handheld device that cuts vegetables into noodles.

Twist, and walla!

You can take almost any vegetable and make it into a pasta-like vehicle for any type of sauce. 

Truly, I believe this is going to transform my life the day that I decide to diet.

Here I twisted zucchini into ribbons and topped with homemade tomato-basil sauce. 

We tried the zucchini both raw and steamed and they were both delicious.

I know it isn't world shaking, but it was darn delicious.

Enjoy!

Clamtastic

This recipe is one for the books. 

If the book is about not going outside for days because your breath, skin and hair smell of garlic.

Yummy, stinky, glorious garlic.

They say that it is the #1 liver detoxifier, so in these summer months filled with BBQs, happy hours, and foo-foo drinks, think of this recipe as balance.

You're welcome.

Oh, and not to mention, it is really delicious.

I put crusty bread as the first ingredient because it is absolutely necessary for sopping up all of the delicious, garlicy, lemony, buttery goodness at the bottom of the bowl.

Don't forget it! 

Also, this recipe is not strict. 

You can easily adapt it to your liking. 

A little more of this, a little less of that. 

You catch my drift.

In fact, I really wanted squid in the recipe, but our local fish market was sold out; 

I'm sure any bivalve, fish or seafood would suffice.

And you don't need the prosciutto, but it is pretty darn good. 

Recipe:

Feeds 4-6 appetizer style; I served it just like the picture shows with forks, spoons and an additional bowl for shells, and a lot of napkins. 

Ingredients:

*A big loaf of crusty bread, warmed and toasty (or made into garlic bread for the brave)*

2-4 dozen little neck clams, scrubbed and rinsed clean

12-18 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined 

2 oz. pancetta, sliced or diced

1 bulb of garlic, sliced thick or coarsely chopped

6 green onions, diced 

1 large shallot, diced

1/2 cup of olive oil

4 tablespoons of butter

juice of one lemon

1/2 cup of dry white wine

2 cups of whole San Marzano tomatoes, cut into segments

1 tablespoon of freshly chopped herbs (I used a mix of thyme and rosemary)
1 + tsp. of crushed red pepper

s/p

Optional: Toss with a box of cooked spaghetti.

Method:

Saute the pancetta in a few tablespoons of olive oil until browned.

Add garlic, onions, shallot and saute until fragrant, being careful to not burn the garlic. 

Add the rest of the olive oil and butter. 

Cook until melted, stirring the onion/garlic mixture. 

Add lemon juice, wine, tomatoes and crushed red pepper. 

Taste and adjust with s/p if necessary. 

Add shrimp and clams and cover. Cook until the clams open and the shrimp is pink. Sprinkle with herbs. 

Meanwhile, toast or warm up your bread (and cook pasta).

Toss all of the ingredients together to coat the shrimp and clams and throw into a large bowl (or if you are doing the pasta route, toss cooked pasta into sauce and serve in individual bowls). 

Serve with the crusty bread and lots of napkins.

Like I said, this recipe is totally open to interpretation and adjustment.

Add more/less meat if you like, more/less tomatoes if you like...etc., etc.

It is summer, have fun!!

Enjoy!

Teacher Appreciation

Can you imagine being a Pre-School teacher?!

I know that I can't.

Yikes.

I think I've had nightmares of such things.

So, here is a little end of the year thank-you-for-putting-up-with-a-hundred-little person personalities-all-year-long gift of our appreciation.

You do an amazing job!

Our measuring cup runneth over!

Cherry, Walnut, Dark Chocolate and Coconut Granola

Sugary, Spicy Walnuts, Pecans and Hazelnuts

Take Home Bags for Muffins and Breads

Coffee Cake and Dark Chocolate Chunk Muffins 

Organic White and Whole Wheat White Bread

Thank you Children's Academic for all you do!

We love you and will miss you next year!

Crunchy Munchy

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted something new! 

Jeepers, I'm such a slacker...

Well, this one is well worth the return.

GORP;

A snack reminiscent of my high school hiking, biking, climbing and camping days. 

Usually a vehicle for the m&m's, but a hippy dippy delicious snack nonetheless. 

Here, we've updated it with some of my favorite solo acts, but mixed them up in snack-mix form.

No longer 'good old raisins and peanuts' here.

I'm going to name this one "Not Your Mama's GORP." 

My mother never made GORP, but it sounds good.

"Not Your Mama's GORP"

- Sugared & Spiced Mixed Nuts

- Dried Cherries

- Milk Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans

- Golden Raisins

- Dark Chocolate with Pop - Rocks, Salt and Cayenne Pepper

- Maple Coconut Granola Clusters

The beauty of this is that you can basically mix anything together, throw it in a bag, pack it for a hike, and walla. You've got GORP. 

What combination shall we make next!?!

I feel that candied bacon has to make the list in some capacity....