RE-solution: to do more art

Every year I say this and that.  I can't even go back to look for fear of how depressing it could be.

I'm thinking this year: Not so extreme.

Stay healthy….I will do that by running when I feel like it, working out at least 3 times a week and my big one; try to only have drinks one day a week.   That should kill me dead by January 7th.

I want to do more art.  Mostly because I suck and it helps me concentrate and try to get out of my head a bit.  It may even help me finish a few things.

I really like the idea of starting things.  BIG PLANS, you know.  Start a project, buy everything, start it, then realize, wow, I have to clean this shit up.  This is definitely not as much fun as it looked on Pinterest.  

Eff You Pinterest.

Another goal.  

Continue my secret meditation practice and my readings from different teachers.  I do actually realize I'll never hit Nirvana, but I can shoot for Prahna, right?

Yoga, meditation and a few less beers may bring me a wee bit closer to the right level. 

I'll tell you one thing.  I attempted to find Zen in cleaning the paintbrushes today after Olive and I had arts and crafts.  

 digipic of Clint Eastwood.   hard to see unless you are avout 40 feet back.   Squint your eyes uo

Olive working on Harajuki .  She is quite the artist.

Well, tomorrow I'm back to work.

I had a nice relaxing 5 days off.

Write ya later

Painted cookies

Holidays are right aroud the corner.

and guess what?

I have to work.

Saturday thru Tuesday…

Now I would say I'm not complaining , but I am.

I don't want to work 4 in a row.

Not over the holiday!

It pisses me off.

So, with that said, Ilin, Olive and I made cookies.

Shortbread and Gingerbread….

then we PAINTED THEM!!!!

I have never done this and it was so easy.

You need:

Royal icing

paint brushes

food coloring

and we used a little paint mixing bowl

we made royal icing:  

4 C. confectioners sugar

2 egg whites

lemon juice

beat the egg whites until firm, not stiff

add sugar and lemon juice, beat until smooth.

Frost the cookies, let them harden (this is why you use royal icing)  I'm not sure why royal icing has to taste so bad…just ignore that part, because I never eat the cookies anyways.

Once they are hardened you can dip the brushes into equal parts food color and water and paint away.

make sure you put down plenty of parchment/wax paper…unless your kids are meticulously clean.

Yes, there is a zombie reindeer and a cookie with pubic hair.

 I sure hope Santa is not offended, 

he never brings me what I as for any way.

Enjoy your holiday!

xo 

M

Vegan Samosas w/Ilin and Olive

The kids were both home today.  I sometimes hate the fact they disappear to the basement or bedroom and just do what they do.  So, with that said, today I made them come out of their caves and join me in the kitchen.  I need some kid time after the tragedy of yesterday.

(the reason we chose samosas)

While in San Fran for my sister, Susie's 75th birthday, we had these yummmmmmy samosas at the picnic.  We all loved them, except for Bobby who stayed at the rental sick…but the kids and I ate them up.  So our goal today was to have a little mom/jackass time and attempt to cook those bad boys.  First thing first…I did NOT want to fry anything, my cholesterol is bad enough.  Ilin argued the point everything taste better fried, but I won…seeing how we don't have a fry daddy.  I opted to use Phyllo and probably after all said and done, the same amount of oil that would have gone into the fryer.  Seriously.

We used the basics of this recipe from "The colors of Indian cooking"   and started upon our cooking adventure.  The potato part was easy, the funny part was toasting the seeds because they popped all over and made Olive scream, and the best part was the outcome.

I'm not going to rewrite the recipe because I really did just use her recipe…of course her kitchen looks nicer and she didn't make quite the mess we did, so just look at her pictures and pretend it's my kitchen, you'll probably never see my kitchen any way…so let's keep it mystical.

I want to tell you to not be scared of this recipe.  It's easy, yummy and I've found when kids help cook, they tend to eat it.  It's a weird thing.

there were a couple things we changed in the recipe.  

I boiled the potatos with the skin on and mashed them…there were still big chunks in them…not mashed to oblivion.

I also used veggie oil instead a pound of butter.

This keeps the recipe vegan.

Now look at the result and happy smiles.

we had extra potato/pea mix which I put a lid on and am going to freeze.  

This would make a great gift, because I think Tamales don't have to be the ONLY lil xmas cooked gift.

these are yummy, and look so presentable.

Last but not least.  If you have only cooked cookies and sweets with your kids, venture out.  Let them help make dinner.  Like I said, they are more apt to eat a new food if they cooked it.  

Give it a try….

write ya later,

xo, 

m

xmas for freaks like me

there are not many things in life I really really need….but anything from Taxidermyjim …I could fall in love with.

Source: etsy.com via Myssi on Pinterest