Cooking

Not actually creating art but we are creating meals. Thanks to my Mom and Dad we're now the proud owners of Staub pans. We have a 10" skillet and 10" grill and tonight's test was steak with left over gratin dauphinois from Christmas Eve (with added Comte cheese) and green beans and mushrooms in the skillet. Yum! Love the texture. Looks like we've coverted from the competition Le Creuset as we should since Staub are made in Alsace.

It's been quite the cooking weekend with baking before that. Last night's Christmas dinner was duck with cranberry sauce, potatoes roasted in duck fat, green beans in butter, carrots in wine and orange juice and leeks in wine with bacon topping. Christmas Eve was filet mignon. I sense a diet is needed.

Merry Christmas (a day late!).

Christmas baking

Trying to still get in the holiday spirit. Baking usually helps and after seeing some new baking gear in the stores, I'm trying to stop myself from getting more and baking more. We probably won't see many people over Christmas so I don't want us to be eating everything I bake. That would be very bad indeed. I may go for a madeleine baking tray and one for baking baguettes. We'll see. Guess that shows our desire to live a bit of a French life even if we can't be there. Although no one really bakes their own baguettes there when there are so many wonderful bakeries.

So I managed to fit in making these fantastic cookies on Friday in between working at home (the joys of working for yourself). Then I made the chocolate cupcakes for a party last night that we didn't get to. Hoping someone will drop by to help us eat them!

Starting to look like Christmas

It's been a while and I'll go into more details why in a post this week. Just getting back to normal around here and having to get into the Christmas spirit. I decorated the tree this past Friday after it sitting bare for two days, despite a cold. Afterwards I collapsed and put my feet up to get better and to just have some quiet time. The week seemed to fly by. After taking some Christmassy photos of a friend and her family today with a Christmas market nearby and some gentle snowflakes it certainly does feel like Christmas even if part of me feels like it was just December last year.

December 24, 2009 - Christmas Eve

This is a cheat because I painted this a long time ago but you can understand I'm kind of on vacation but wanted to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Back to regular scheduling soon and new works.

December 6, 2009 - Decorations

As expected the natural light pics are best.

December 6, 2009 - Christmas!

So what have I been up to and what's my excuse for not painting since the 2nd? Well, I have spent time promoting my work and also organizing my photos (a lot easier with my laptop). And Friday was "getting into the Christmas spirit" day although early in the day I was put into a mood that made me not want to do that. But it was sunny, I had a drive from my parents to Ikea to get a cheap but lovely tree (thanks!) and it made for a nice surprise for my husband when he got home. I have the time this year to do this all in one go so I put on some Christmas music and had a hot chocolate at the end of it.

Hence the Christmas theme. I'll even post some pics of the decorations as proof later on. I'll see if I can get some good pictures at night.

Very prolific today. Thought I would dole the paintings out over a few days but why wait.

Here goes.