All of a Sudden...

So, here I am, putzing around with magic erasers and such, trying to make my house look more homey for the holidays (or anyday, for that matter - it could use some lovin' right now), when  -

ALL OF A SUDDEN -

-- I realize I haven't posted here since - er, Thanksgiving. Ours was fun, hope your's was too. Lots of good food and extended family at my SIL's sister's house (say that three times fast and you better grab a tissue). We took a couple pans of dressing for our part of the potluck, but we also had a small feast waiting for us at home, for later, because we (are piglets) love leftovers. We've been dining like kings, all week...

And now, all of a sudden -

-- it's December! Christmas is coming! 24 days and counting...

-- the wind is blowing here, like it KNOWS it's December. They're fluctuating - anywhere, from 45 - 90 mph winds, today. People are still calling them Santa Ana's - though those are usually hot - and these are c-c-c-old, as well as coming much later and stronger, than the usual ones we get. Maybe since they blew in really late this year, they're trying to make up for lost time.

-- speaking of lost time - I think I've been in a tryptophan-daze, this whole week --  I want to thank you again for your sweet comments on my blogiversary post. Thanks for visiting! Your comments keep this place lively and warm my heart. And with this cold wind blowing, we need all the body warmth we can get.

Olive a Sudden:

-- the kitchen is definitely open for business again. Cold weather + Thanksgiving + Christmas + New Year's x oven baking = lots of warm, goodies to eat.

-- did I just say New Year's?? Wow, the whole YEAR is drawing to a close and there are so many things I never got around to sharing with you on the blog, this year...

-- like how we picked olives along the road, last March (?) (I think...) and cured them. I did share this on FB, but not everyone has FB and I never shared it here, so that didn't count. So here's the page in my journal from then (which I didn't share on FB, only I put real life photos, there). Olive-curing was so much easier than I'd ever thought it would be. Water+salt+olives. Rinse. Soak. Repeat (everyday, for 2 weeks). Voila! Olives. So easy, it's like magic.

-- nor did I share the journal page next to it, that was painted in - olive brine, wine, a little tea and coffee too, I think (it's been awhile). I went a little nuts with the experimenting...All of which was at least semi-inspired by a certain book...gulp, I can't believe I only shared this on FB and not here (jeesh, what is WITH me, this year?!), because:

-- I won THIS fabulous book - Flavor for Mixed Media*, by Mary Beth Shaw (which is not actually about painting with beverages - though reading it and thinking about 'recipes' for mixed media, did inspire me to try doing that, again. It DOES have lots of great ideas for making mixed media, as well as some great 'real' recipes for food, and lots of fabulous art by many (15? I think...) other wonderful artists. Such as Judy Wise, Misty Mawn, Susan Tuttle and Elizabeth MacCrellish (yay! Elizabeth!), just to name a few. I'm glad I at least finally thought to tell you about the book now, in case you want to put it on your Christmas wish list. (Thank you again, MaryBeth - sorry it took me so long!)

_{*Just so you know, I don't receive anything from Amazon or anyone else, when I link to such things, so if I link to it, it's because I really truly like.- whatever/whoever - we're talking about. Now, um, what were we talking about? Oh, yeah -}

While I'm all of a sudden on this food/art/recipes, kick - here are a few more links you might want to check out, when you've got a minute:

-- Susan Branch is one of my favorite illustrator/cookbook authors. As well as her wonderful blog, you can sign up to receive her 'Willard' emails -which I seriously look forward to like no other newsletter  (you can read more about Willard, as well as sign up, here at this link). If you sign up now, you'll be in time to get her December Willard, which is quite possibly the most wonderful Willard of all, as it has a fantastic cookie wheel with all kinds of deliciously illustrated recipe fun.

-- And, somehow, thinking of Susan (don't you love how the internet puts us on a first-name basis with our favorite people who don't know us?), made me remember, I never told you here, that I joined Sharon Lovejoy's (another favorite author/illustrator, of mine) - her Grimy Hands Girl's Club (there's a link on her blog, to join it), and received a packet of wonderful Italian basil seeds, as well as some of her lovely postcards (pictured, above), for being one of the charter members (first 100). (Thank you again, Sharon!). I did put up a link on the other blog to the club, but even after six years, I have yet to really figure out the sidebar thingies HERE (the girl had to help me with it, when she lived here - but now she's all grown up and married and living far away, so there's something else I need to work on this coming year). (pssst - if you ever happen to pop in to my other 'older' blog, could you toss a little food to the fishies - I worry they get lonely over there, sometimes...).

(All of a sudden, I'm realizing that apparently, I'm hooked on parentheses, today. Also, commas...and ellipses...Punchdrunk on punctuation...)

-- You may already know about They Draw and Cook (love their fun Dial-a-Dinner ), but did you know they - in cooperation with You Beauty.com -- are sponsoring a healthy holiday recipe illustration contest? With awesome awards - till December 4th, I think...so hurry over there, soon. After you get to the blog, click on the top right corner to read about the contest. Even if you're not interested in entering, it's worth taking a look, just to see all the great illustrated entries. Wow, such talent.

-- If you have kids around (and even if you don't, because who wouldn't love a secret bakery?), peek in the window at YummyFun. After you ring the doorbell to get in (center of the page), you can browse around the shelves. So creative. YummyFun - the name kind of says it all.

*That isn't the YummyFun bakery, up there - it's - it's - oh crumb! I can't think of it's name right now. It's in a neighboring town and won an episode of Cupcake Wars...we didn't have time to try it out, the day I snapped this photo - but we hope to go back sometime soon and then - THEN, I'll (hopefully) be able to tell you it's name...

Well, all of a sudden, I realize I've talked your ear off. Like the wind, I think I must be trying to make up for lost time too. So glad the power's stayed on, through all this rambling (knock on wood). Also, I'm realizing over half the day is gone and there's still a lot to be done around here, so back to the erasing off the fall-derol and getting ready for the falla-lalla holidays. Ta for now.

 

Comments

[Janet]

Wow....this post is chock full of goodies! I never knew it was that easy to make olives. And I like the journal pages you did for them.

Thanks for all the links, too. So many things to see and not enough time!

[rochambeau]

Hey Tink,
Hello and THANK you for telling us about curing olives esp since I don't have FB.
I'm OVERjoyed to learn this info. Sadly we no longer live in olive territory, but STILL, this fascinates me so and I'm about to tell 'my people' at dinner, in a few minutes!!

xox
Constance

[gemma]

What a great post Tinker.
Must talk to you more about the olives. I have 2 trees in my yard and have never tried making them...but I want to,usually the birds get them. I love Susan Branch & get Willard & read her blog too. See no wonder we are friends. love you.

[judie]

Your journal pages are awesome! You painted those with olive brine and wine?? Girl, my sketchbook is just that..full of sketches. Yours is full fledged finished, framable art. Beautiful!

[somepinkflowers]

hello
and guess what
i KEEP trying to do...
so accustomed am i
to touch pad technology...

i kept touching
the screen image
of your journal
trying
trying
trying
to make the pages TURN!

oh my!

{{well
at least
now i know i can adapt
to New Things...}}

[Tara Bradford]

Happy New Year, dear Terri! Haven't been around much, as we moved to the Netherlands and have been mired in bureaucracy while buying a house. But I think of you often and hope all is well. Wishing you and yours a wonderful 2012, full of joy, good health and prosperity. xx