Happy Halloween!

I found a giant velvet robe at the thrift store a few weeks ago and bought it with plans of turning it into Red Riding Hood's cape.  I brought it out to show Evan and he was so concerned that I thought Red Riding Hood wore a robe.  Silly boy!  I finished my cape just in the nick of time and I am so glad we thought to get a giant, wolf-ish looking dog so that he could be my costume accessory.

We live just blocks away from the classy historic district and get a ton of trick-or-treaters as a result.  Last year we ended up locking the screen door to the front porch and shutting off the lights because every time the door-bell rang, puppy Gesso almost wet his pants.  (and maybe we just wanted all the candy to ourselves.)  We'll see how long we last this year.  Happy Halloween everyone!

Deep Thoughts

I am a list person (!) and I always try hard to finish everything on my list before the day is done.  And since I hadn't been getting much art time in lately, I was sure to put that on the list yesterday.  I found myself dusting off my watercolour paints and doodling, among other things, this snippet from Mrs. Miniver.  The fall colors are out in force and taking over the city, (which isn't as scary as it sounds), and it is quite incredible!  Oh October, you are so nice.

I stand corrected.

Remember last year when I 'invented' Holly Peanut Butter Cups?  And how I got a little bit cocky and told Reese's to 'eat my shorts'?  hehe.  Well.  I stand corrected.  Because I found a recipe for Reese's peanut butter eggs (remember Easter?), that could totally eat Holly's peanut butter cups shorts.  And they are rocking my very world.

Evan has been gone this week for work which is how these came to be.  When Evan is gone things get really boring around here and the clock ticks extra loud, the appliances hum, and I eat things like a big bowl of raspberries + peanut butter eggs for dinner.  And chocolate covered pomegranate seeds for breakfast (Evan please come home!!).  Anyway, the point is that while Evan is gone I do all sorts of irresponsible things.  Like look for sinful new recipes to try.  And these are the very definition of sin.  So I guess you could say I've been sinning all day.

Peanut Butter Eggs:

adapted from this recipe

filling:

1.5 c. powdered sugar

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter (I like Adam's no-stir.  because I hate stirring peanut butter.  hate.)

2 Tb. butter

1 Tb. milk

coating:

1.5 c. dark chocolate chips

1 Tb. shortening (I know it's weird, but it works!)

Mix together filling ingredients until completely combined.  Roll into little balls (or eggs!) and freeze for about an hour. 

Once frozen, melt chocolate and shortening in the microwave and dip peanut butter balls in chocolate.  Let harden on a sheet of wax paper and then eat them all at once.  I won't judge!

Home Again

 

We have returned after a week spent skipping through Southern Utah.  It is Evan's happy place and it makes me pretty happy too.  Although our adventure was cut a little short on account of my dumb cold, it felt so nice to be back to the land of red rocks.  Ahhhh.

Bedazzled

That's right.  I glued sequins and glitter on a pumpkin.  Spooky!

We are leaving today on a little adventure to Evan's most favorite place on earth.
See you in a few weeks!

Millions of Peaches

We live in a town void of orchards.  It is the worst.  It means no road-side stands or 'pick-your-own' farms.  It means super lame grocery store fruit.  It also means long winters.  But!  I had a friend who knew of a friend who had a friend that lived in Washington State and who was coming to Montana with a truck full of peaches.  Peaches!  We jumped on that boat as fast as we could.  We are peach people.

And so we have spent the past week having a peach with every meal.  And for every snack.  It was probably the best week of my life.  And then things got dramatic: the peaches were at their prime and we still had half a box left.  What to do?!  I'm not cool enough to know how to can stuff.  And our freezer can only hold so many frozen peach slices.  How 'bout fruit leather?  Okay.



Peach Leather:
4 peeled, pitted peaches
juice of one lemon

Combine peaches + lemon juice in a blender and blend until no chunks remain.  Pour into lightly greased dehydrater trays (this amount yielded three trays).  Press the 'on' button.  Take a nap.  When leather is done becoming leather (5 ish hours?  I'm not sure, I was taking a serious nap) cut into strips and roll in parchment paper.

Yay!  Yum!

Fabric Printing

 I picked up a fabric printing book a few weeks ago at Border's going-out-of-business sale (so sad they're closing, but I can't lie--70% off books is nothing to cry about!) and this was my first attempt.

Verdict:  Fun!  And not as scary as I thought.  

Also, much messier than I thought.