Have you heard of......

Dallas Brooks


I love this picture of her. I especially love the paint all over her hands. (I stole it from her blog)

Dallas Brooks is my new favorite artist. Her work is so original, whimsical and beautiful. It's been awhile since I have been excited like this for a new artist that I have found. Most of her work is done in watercolor but what makes her work so different is her use of glitter. She has managed to use glitter as a form of light in her work. She creates beautiful shades and gives her art a wonderful dimension with her glitter.

In addition to her wonderful art, she is such a doll. She loves the NW (of course who doesn't) and uses words like RADalicious. How can you not love that?! I am already expecting her to want to come up and stay with me when she visits.

I am very excited because I commissioned a piece of art from her that I will get in May. I know it will be amazing and I can't wait see what she creates for me. I am already thinking of a couple of other pieces that I will want from her after this one.

Here is some of her amazing art.






All images are property of the lovely Dallas Kay Brooks...so well...don't go stealing...(I just borrowed them).

Confession Session

I would save my dog before most people. (not YOU of course...but that other guy...yep...and her...uh huh...and even that cute little kid too...that's what I said...my DOG...)

SOUPer...delicious...

(Yeah...I know...Souper Delicious...not only original but funny too.)

One of my favorite things to do is to buy a $5 roast chicken whenever I go to Costco. It makes a fantastic dinner and then I take the leftover bones (I would say carcass but it just sounds so well...dead) and throw it in a pot and make chicken stock. The stock always comes out so rich and delicious.



It's really easy to make homemade stock. I just throw it in a pot, cut up an onion, cut up a carrot, cut off the top of a head of garlic, and put it all in the pot with the leftover roast chicken, peels, skins and all. Toss in a palm full of dried herbs de provence (or whatever I have sitting in my pantry...I just typically use herbs de provence for everything), some whole peppercorns, and fill up the pot with water until it covers all the bones. I bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down and let it simmer while I catch up on my DVR for a few hours. When is it done? When it tastes good. I then let it cool, put the whole pot in the fridge and the next day spoon off the fat, warm up the stock just a bit on the stove again and then strain the stock. That's it! Rich, delicious, homemade stock! Of course once that is done, I make soup. (Oh and a side note...I don't use the meat that is remaining on the bone for my soups. My Grandfather would be horrified to hear that but I find that meat that has been already cooked and then boiled for hours is mushy and no longer tastes like chicken. Julia Child has taught us that food should taste like what it is. I can't tell you how many times I have read and listened to her say, "it tastes more chickeny that way". So I too, being an avid follower of Julia Child, believe that chicken should taste...chickeny. I do however pick all the meat off the bones that are leftover and give it to my pup, Poppy. Needless to say...she loves Costco chicken even when it is not so chickeny.)

The souper delicious (clever..clever) soup I made this time doesn't really have a name. It's a really yummy, very comforting, creamy, vegetable chicken noodle soup.

I have wanted to re-create this soup for a long time now. When my grandmother passed away, I was staying at her home. My grandmother's generous next-door neighbor brought this soup to my family. It was so thoughtful and delicious. It also was so easy to re-heat and the perfect comfort food during that bittersweet time when my grandma passed away.

The great thing about this soup is that "touch" of cream. It's not a thick soup, it's just a creamy soup with lots of vegetables. By the time you get to the noodles it feels downright decadent. I don't even need bread with this soup. One bowl fills me up every time! I rarely measure ANYTHING in cooking. I tend to rebel against it and trust me...it has bitten me back a few times...but I just don't typically do it. I dare you to cook with dashes, pinches, spoon fulls and tosses. It's very satisfying when it comes out well. (Although...don't even dare to do this in baking...no bueno)

Oh and here is my soap-box soup tip.

I think the biggest mistake that people make when cooking soup is they throw everything in the pot at once and think it needs to cook for hours. I disagree. Soup should be cooked in stages, because different foods cook at different rates. It doesn't have to be a lengthy, hard process, just don't throw it all in the pot at the same time. You will end up with tasteless chicken and MUSHY noodles (one of the greatest cooking sins of all time). Also, PLEASE don't leave it on low on the stove all day. It will continue to cook. I know the thought of leaving a big, pot of hot soup on the stove for the family to partake of is such a great thought. But those lovely thoughts and that Norman Rockwell picture will be ruined by overcooked...well...everything. Put a cute note on the stove with hearts on it and tell them to heat it up themselves.

To start I chop an onion and a few carrots (both peeled this time). Bring the stock to a boil and put in the onion and carrots. At the same time I also put in some WHOLE frozen chicken tenderloins in the pot. I let those cook with the carrots and onions for about 15 minutes. THEN I TAKE THE CHICKEN OUT OF THE POT.



Once I have taken the cooked chicken tenderloins out of the pot I then put in a bag of frozen, cut, green beans. (Fresh would be great...but out of season...frozen is the way to go). I then put in some frozen, sweet corn. This will cool down the soup, so I let it come back to a boil. While it is coming to a boil I shred the tenderloins. Once it comes to a full boil, I dump in some egg noodles (about half a bag), put the shredded chicken back in the pot, put a lid on the pot and...I TURN OFF THE HEAT. Then I walk away for 20-30 minutes. The noodles will be perfectly cooked and the chicken won't be resemble a non-chickeny substance. At this point...season the soup with salt and pepper and it's ready to eat - healthy and delish. However....this is when I add the cream.



Trust me...you want the cream. How much???? As much as you want.



Easy and SOUPer Delicious....

And NOW for something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Happy Birthday My Sweet Pup

I am a couple days behind in posting this, but wouldn't feel right if I didn't have a tribute to Miss. Poppy! Poppy is 1 year old as of May 8th!

I know that many people can't relate to the love of an animal but truly Poppy is one of the most important creatures in my life. She is so loyal, affectionate and wonderful! She makes me laugh on a daily basis! She still thinks she is a superhero while she dashes around and I am convinced she thinks she can fly as she leaps and soars from the highest points possible. She is even a bonafide stuntdog...leaping from moving vehicles...(yes...I almost died from that heart attack and she survived without a scratch. I no longer drive with the windows down.)

She licks my face relentlessly when I am laughing and sleeps curled up next to me every night. She is such a good pup! She is my constant companion and my life wouldn't be the same without her. She is the most gentle creature I know and just the other day I was laughing when the neighbor cat walked through our backdoor. She just looked at me and then yawned it off. I see the two of them hanging out in the backyard on a regular basis now.

She is my good dog and the love of my life.

I love you Poppy. I hope you live forever.

Puccini without words

I have been dealing with some interesting life changes lately. So with those changes I thought that I would change up the blog. One of the great advantages to having life get a little crazy and a little out of control is that you can look for the rainbow lining. (Do I sound positive and convincing??) So in my case my rainbow lining is really gripping onto the things I can control, taking a hard look at them and doing what I can to make life amazing, regardless of anything or anyone else. So....that's my new perspective. That I am going to be a little bit more selfish in life, have a little bit more fun, and take some time to work on well...ME. I haven't really done that in awhile.

Welcome Miss Addison

Erica, my best friend since high school, had her baby girl Addison!! She was a week overdue and still managed to have a tiny little baby!! Only 6 lbs 13 oz.I just got back from the hospital and she is so beautiful and very sweet!! Erica had a great delivery and truly makes being pregnant and giving birth seem like a breeze!

Welcome little Addison!! We are so glad you are here!

Super awesome celebration of the day of my birth...

Birthdays have never really been a big deal. Don't get me wrong. I have had some wonderful birthdays and certainly as a kid remember all the fun parties that my mom threw me, that later morphed into high school get together gatherings, which then translated to meeting at the dance club, then the more adult like dinners gatherings. I think that with the natural progression of aging and less exciting, non-pin the tail on the donkey parties, the pure butterflies in the stomach experience just naturally fades away. We hit that point where...darn it..we are a year older and tend to reflect vs..look forward to that new drivers license etc..
This birthday however, seemed to bring back some of that old glee that I had forgotten about. I am embarrassed to admit that it was all the wonderful attention and thoughtfulness of everyone that brought that glee. I really didn't expect anything other than some warm birthday wishes but truly I felt like everyone just went so out of their way!

My day started with flowers from Mom and Dad. Then Matt had some beautiful flowers delivered to work for me. I was so tickled. How fun being surrounded by all this flora!! I also got a my first job interview request since I have started the tough hunt and that literally felt like the greatest birthday present EVER! It lifted my hopes so much that I might actually find a new job after getting laid off! Then I came home from work and waiting on my front door steps were more flowers and plants with balloons and cards from my best girlfriends. My house looked like a nursery! It was of course...very awesome! Then I got all dressed up and ready for Matt to come home to take me to dinner at Andina's! This is officially my new favorite restaurant! It was FANTASTIC! The food was divine! It was the perfect mix of comfort food and sophistication. Seriously. I know that sounds totally dorky...but that was truly the best way I can describe it, besides...so yummy that all dinner long Matt and I were making obnoxious ...mmmmmmmm....noises while we ate. After a long wonderful dinner my husband presented me with a beautiful necklace, which I love! My hubby did good...it is so perfectly me. I love it and haven't taken it off since! To disgust you even more...two days later...Erica treated me to a pedicure, lunch and gave me the best birthday present.

So perhaps I should title this...Super Awesome Celebration of the day of the most spoiled brat ever's birth. That sounds about right!

I am a lucky girl with the best friends and family ever. We should go celebrate that...at Andina's. Let's GO!



These are the flowers Matt sent me. I won't post the picture of the necklace or anything else because then you would really hate me. But if you click on the word..Andina..you can look at the menu and drool over the yummy food I ate...mmmmmmmm.

My Bloody Valentine 3-D

Well- I did promise a horror movie review after my super, cheery, happy previous post.

Yesterday, Matt and I decided to go on a long overdue date together to catch a flick. We haven't seen a movie together at the theater in a very long time and decided to have fun and see My Bloody Valentine 3-D. We loaded up on the popcorn, slurpees, and $10 licorice and grabbed our Elvis Costello 3-D glasses. It was exciting going to a 3-D movie for grown-ups. (Although...we were a little confused thinking we were in the the wrong theater when we saw two different...BIG families come in with their kids...ages ranging from 3ish-10ish. Maybe the parents were confused with the 3-D glasses, Valentines....maybe they missed the BLOODY in the title...or the R rating. I did find myself watching the family in anticipation for the reactions of the both the parents and the kids to not only the massive amounts of gore, but that massive amount of gore in 3-D. Maybe the kids were being punished.)

Back to the film....

Now I am not going to do a review in the normal sense...there are too many talented people who get paid to do that. In fact...at the end of this I will link you to one of my favorite bloggers who reviews horror movies and is a hoot. She reviewed this movie for AMC...(very PG) and also briefly on her blog.(If you wouldn't go to a rated R movie and have issues with foul language, nudity, gore, chainsaws, zombies, anti-christ pregnancies, etc..then I must warn you to avoid the brillant Stacie Ponder's blog. Although the temptation is now there...and I know you want to look...)

My Bloody Valentine 3-D is a remake of the story of a pickax happy miner named Harry Warden. I have never seen the first one, although Matt remembered having seen it. That's as much background that I will give you. (Remember...not a true review..if I attempted to do that I would probably get in trouble for revealing too much or break movie review rules or whatever).

Matt and I went into this movie with big smiles on our faces...(how can you not with 3-D glasses on) and left with big smiles. The 3-D effects were very fun. In the first opening scene they (as in the movie people...who ever that is) do a great job setting the bar. It was so horrific, bloody and gory that we laughed with glee. It was that over the top. There were many more moments that you would hear the two of us going..."ooooohhhh..." or me going "blech.." followed by both of us laughing at the creative dismantling that we just witnessed. Who knew that you could kill someone in so many different ways with a pickax?

Things I loved about the movie...

-Looking over at Matt and seeing him in his Elvis Costello 3-D glasses.
-Over the top gore!
-Classic characters and dialogue. (My favorite was the sheriff and deputy in the first scene... so classic)
-The sound effects were pretty fun...very squishy.
-They hit upon so many classic horror kill spots...motel, woods, grocery store, old run-down house, small town suburbia, car, caves, hospital(hee hee), and I am sure more that I am missing.
-The ending

Things that weren't so good.

-Super expensive movie night with the extra 3-D surcharge.
-Feeling like an idiot when we paid for our million dollar movie food. (WHY?! didn't I stop at the Target and get big bags of candy and stuff it in my giant purse?!!)

Overall...after a weekend of watching Revolutionary Road (GREAT!), and The Duchess (good). It was a fun to go see an old school slasher flick with some modern digital 3-D technology.

I wonder how those kids slept last night.

Here is Stacie Ponder's link to her AMC review of the movie. (A real review).

Here is the link to Stacie Ponder's super awesome blog Final Girl.

Whoo HOO for 2009!

So many great things to look forward to in 2009!





Oh my Obama!! I love this guy! I love his wife and his adorable children! I was so inspired and touched by his speech and feel more patriotic than I have in years! He has a HARD road ahead of him and I think he has the hardest job in the world right now. I pray that we can all support him and understand that he is where he is supposed to be right now.



My best friend Erica and her husband Brian are having their first baby, Miss.Addison in February! I am so excited to meet her and know she is going to for sure be beautiful and very talented just like her mama!! I imagine she will tap dance her way into the world.



Noahanator!

My little Noah is turning 1 in March and I can't believe it! It is truly so much fun watching him grow up and I am feel so lucky to live close by to witness all his funny little quirks and charming personality come out!





Weddings Bells for Emma and Isaac!
My darling cousin is getting married on May 9th! I have had the pleasure of hearing all her details and plans! It will be fantastic! I am really looking forward to meeting Isaac, seeing all the family and getting all spiffy for what will be a fabulous wedding for sure!!! (hmmmm...how can I get her out here for a pre-wedding bash at Darcell's! Nothing better then some drag queens before the big day! I wonder if they have drag queens in Utah? OH you KNOW they do!!! Side note of digression...my Grandma Russell loves drag queens...none personally that I know of ...but I have watched many a drag queen specials with her! It must be in my blood!)

Can't wait Em!! OH and another side note...two people that look like Emma and Isaac shouldn't be allowed to have babies...so unfair for the rest of the world's babies. Although...ahem...I guess it should be illegal for Matt and I too. (have you seen my husband...holy hottness!) But Emma and Isaac have a caliber that well...should be illegal.



My absolute favorite modern day artist, Cassandra Christensen Barney, (her beautiful painting, The Incumbent, above) is having an art show in May at Cannon Beach! I have been looking forward to this show for so long! I will finally get to meet her and have been saving my money for the show!!! I imagine I will be so star-struck that I will make a complete fool of myself! But I am really looking forward to it! It's perfect because the first time I discovered her artwork, happened to be on a weekend that Matt and I were at Cannon Beach! I literally stopped in my tracks when I saw her work and then later discovered that she was the daughter of James Christensen whose art I grew up with. I am very very excited!! She is such a rock star to me! Matt has already been counseling me on how to control myself when I meet her. But what he just doesn't understand is that I know we can be best friends. (I am just kidding...mostly.)





My cousin Laura is moving here with her cute husband Robbie and her ADORABLE baby Isabel!! Robbie is going to school out here and we were all so excited to get them close to Portland!!! They move here in August! We can't wait to meet Isabel!!!





Also in August is the Bacon Family Reunion!!!!!! I can't wait! Last time I only got to spend one measly afternoon with the family at the coast! This year I plan on spending at least a couple days with the family! I hope everyone comes out and can't wait to see everyone!!



August 29th of this year Matt and I will have made it to the 1 year wedding anniversary!! We are actually on year 6 together this year but I just love that we have a wedding anniversary to celebrate from now on!! I love this man so much and they say that the first year is the hardest...it will be great to get through this first year as madly in love as ever!!! (Love you babe!)

I know that there will be so many wonderful things that happen this year! I plan on living it to the fullest! Taking more classes, more flower school, more time with my wonderful friends, memories with family, and I am going to attempt to learn how to sew! I can't wait for all the gifts that this year has in store!!!!!

OH and a shout out to my favorite pup Poppy who makes EVERYDAY full of kisses, joy and laughter!

(WOW...how's that for a sugar coma inducing post...hmmm...I will have review a horror movie on the next one...sorry..)

Happy Birthday Matt!

It is my husband Matt's birthday today!! He is the big 3-7!! That's right 37!

It was really snowy these past few days, so our birthday plans changed a bit. Originally we were going to go to a really nice steak dinner at El Gaucho's to celebrate with his family for his birthday and his brother Dave's birthday (two days ago). That didn't work out, so I brought the steakhouse to him. I found a prime rib roast that was the perfect size for us.(Enough left over for Miss. Poppy!) I cooked it up- (my first one and...it turned out really good...beginners luck!!). Roasted some potatoes, made some garlic-mushrooms, steamed veggies (doused in butter!), a salad, bread and brie! Delish!! Then of course got him a big slice of chocolate cake! After a yummy meal like that...I say bring on the snow anytime!!

A few things I love about Matt....

He has the best shoulders...very easy to snuggle in, as well as protective at concerts when crazy moshpitters are around.
I will catch him and his sons laughing hysterically while watching the same "failblog" over and over again.
He is the BEST cook.
I love that he loves zombies, comic books, hair-metal, trailer park boys, and battle-star gallatica. He is the coolest dork ever!
He feeds stray animals...even ones he is deathly allergic too. (melts my heart)
He will still play me the cheesy romantic ballads on his guitar. (even though he claims to hate them)
That he brought me the Fall Vogue when I was sick in the ER waiting for hours.

Happy Birthday Matt! I love you madly and I can't wait to spend many many many more birthdays with you!!

Snow nice to meet you!

We had quite a bit of snow...(by Portland, Oregon standards) on Sunday and it was the first time Poppy has ever seen or been in snow. I was a little worried about her wanting to go outside because she hates the cold and the rain and well..snow is of course wet and cold. Like a kid though...she discovered snow is MUCH more fun!!! She loved it! In fact...she drove me crazy because she wanted to go out and play in it all day long! She would play for about 10 minutes and then come in to warm up and then she was right back out in it. It was really fun to watch her run around in it. She would dig her nose in it and discovered that she could bump the tops of plants to make it fall. Pretty cute!! OH and I know by the pictures it doesn't look like we had a lot of snow, but keep in mind...we haven't mowed our lawn since August...so that's about 12 inch long grass there.