Sunday, March 16, 2008

♀ Sara's Box ♂


♥´¨)
¸,•´¸.•´¨) ¸.•*¨)
{¸.*´ (¸.*`¤~This cute litle box was a commission I just completed for a friend who is gifting it to another friend.
Wonderful to know it's going to a fellow artist. Today it's sunny here in Bloomington. Sun means the world to this former Floridian.
Off to the studio today to finish a five foot long piece that will be part of the work I intend to sell in Arizona.
I can feel it living in someone's home and me not having in my collection for long.

If you feel the need for a little 'virtual' travel, stick around my blog. We head west on Monday........I'll chronicle our trip from
my blog and you can come along for the ride.
We're headed to Arizona!!

Namastè,
Patricia

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Potato & Spinach Enchiladas and Refried Beans


Hi All!
When you cook with your heart, people can taste it. This is the real secret of great cooking. No fancy techniques, just the willingness to give yourself wholeheartedly to what you do! Same way with making art. What comes from the soul cannot be denied.

☞Potato Enchiladas

1 1/2 c. vegetable broth (I mix a teaspoon of Vegetable Better Than Bullion into 1 1/2 c. hot water)
1 package of Spud Puppies (oraganic Tatter Tots) baked in oven according to package directions.
8 oz. stick of cream cheese, mushed
2-3 big handfuls of baby spinach chopped
Shred a few onces of Mexican Queso or a creamy white cheddar
a good pinch of cumin powder
a good sprinkling of adobo powder

Place the softened cream cheese in a bowl, add the warm bullion and chopped spinach and spices. Add the shredded cheese.When the puppies are done baking, toss them into the bowl. It looks weird, like you've killed the puppies, but that's okay. Mush it all around till it looks gloppy.

Make a simple white cream sauce:

3 c. milk
3 T. corn starch
5 T butter
season with a pinch of paprika and dill and white pepper

Bring milk and butter to a simmer, add cornstarch. Carefully bring this warmer while stirring till it thickens.

Line the shallow casserole pan you're about to use with a thin layer of the sauce.
Take your (corn or flour) toritilla's and place some of the potato mixture into each. Roll and place into sauced pan. Repeat. Put cream sauce on top.
Bake for abouut 35 minutes in a 375º oven.
ENJOY!

☞Killer Refried Beans

2 c. dried pinto beans
bay leaves
3/4 c canola oil
1 bulb roasted garlic
2-3 tsp. kosher salt
tamari
adobo
cumin powder
1 can chopped tomatoes

Sort beans for any debris or stones. Rinse beans and add to pot with 8 c of water. Cook with cover ajar for 2 hours till soft. Add water if needed, but doubt that will be necessary.
Keep the water level about 2" above beans.
(Note:DO NOT SALT beans till they are fully cooked.)
In the meantime.......
Roast a bulb of garlic drizzled in olive oil with a pinch of thyme.
Remove bay leaves from the cooked beans.
When garlic is done roasting, remove cloves and mash them slightly and add to pot of beans. Mash beans in pot with a potato masher or big spoon.
Add the canola oil to the beans.
Drain the tomotes and add them to the pot.
Add tamari, salt and adobo.
Add a pinch of cumin too.

The longer you can cook this down with all the spices and things added, the better your beans will taste! Keep cooking them till they thicken a bit more and serve. You can add chopped jalapenoes and serve with shredded cheese or not.

The above goes great with chips, salsa, nopal cactus, and of course margarita's!!
••Oh, and this yummy recipe can be printed and safely tucked away in the cute little box above available from my etsy site.
How was that for a shameless plug!!

Okay, that's all from Purple Hill today.......gotta go switch hats and make art!
♥
Patricia

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

It's All About Color!




Good Morning Groopies!
Seems I have a few folks wanting my Potato Enchilada recipe........I'll try to post that one tomorrow!
Suffice it to say, we had them last night along with my killer refried beans and we're still coming down from it.
It's one of our favs!

Todays entry is a quickie.... a splash of color. This is our kitchen window. As you can see, we like glass!
Some of these colorful gems are from our dear friend Holly. It was Holly that made her blog first and in doing so,
motivated me to do the same. I wasn't completely sure what I'd write about, but I feel my viewers and friends are guiding
my decisions on what this needs to contain.

My TattooDreams work entails using lots of black paint. My HeckerDesign (http://www.heckerdesign.com) work uses a full array of colors. Since I am back in show mode, I'm back to painting with colors and so sharing our colorful kitchen window seemed like a good idea.

Hi ho.........it's off to the studio I go!

Have a most excellent day!
Patricia

Monday, March 10, 2008

"Morning Coffee"



Peace can be found in many places.
I find mine in my studio making art and in my kitchen making something fun. Yesterday I shared with my blog readers a great soup recipe. I really hope you'll give it a try.
I've received numerous positive comments on including recipes here. I'll make it point to do so on a more frequent basis.
Today I'm making refried beans. I'll cook them slowly all day and I have to say, they rock! We'll have them tonight
along with my potato enchiladas. I'll make two pans. One for Jon which needs to be glute free and made with corn tortillas and one for me that is the done with flour tortillas. I'll serve them with a white sauce that is really good! I make up dishes as I go, so when someone asks me for an actual recipe, I really have to stop and think about how I made something!

Today I'm mentally changing gears in the studio to making my HeckerDesign work that I take to shows.
Gearing up for our trip west.........
Featuring here today "Morning Coffee"
22"x22"

Have a most excellent day and remember...........a day without art is like a day without coffee!
Go out and make it a good one!!
Patricia

Sunday, March 9, 2008

★ The Best Black Bean Soup Recipe ★


★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
2 c dried black beans (sorted to remove any stones)
8 1/2 c. water
5 bay leaves
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp groupd coriander
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
thyme
2 T olive or canola oil
1 large onion chopped
small can of tomatoe paste
1 bunch of chopped fresh cilantro
1 bulb of raosted garlic that has been taken out of the pod
3 T tamari (wheat free soy sauce)
optional additions.......chopped jalapeno peppers
sour cream dollops

Sort the beans of any stones and rinse them. Cover with water, bring to a boil and drain. Rinse again.
Add the 8 1/2 c of water and beans to a stock pot. Add the bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.

In a small dry skillet, toast the cumin seeds, coriander, and oregano over low heat for 2-3 minutes to highten the oil content. When the fragrance becomes strong, remove from heat and set aside. In the same pan heat the oil, add the chopped onions and cook till translucent or softens. Stir in the toasted herbs and cook for another minute or two.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook another few minutes. This makes a rue. Add this to the pot of beans and stir. Cook on low for another hour. Add the copped cilantro. Add the bulb of roasted garlic. Simmer and serve.

This goes great with some cornbread muffins or garlic bread.

A healthy soup to feed the tummy and making it feeds the soul!
Enjoy!

Patricia

Thursday, March 6, 2008

★ Affirmations Table ★



★
Sometimes projects come together in a wonderful way over a period of time! Objects find their destiny as do people.
This was one of them!
Pictured above is a table with some history! It was found 15 years ago along a busy Indianapolis road, cast away from people
that no longer wanted or needed it. Its foot was injured. We saved it! For a while we used it. Then we too stowed it away.
Last fall we brought it back to life by sanding it. Jon altered the damaged foot by reshaping it. It got stamped with loving words and I made beads to adorn the sides as fringe.
Last fall it became one of 3 tables in my Waldron Art Center exhibit and lived in a Bloomington gallery for 4 weeks.
Now it lives up in our guest loft where friends spend the night.
It seems to like its new home!
Jon photographed it last week and it's currently under consideration to be included in Lark Books 500 Tables.
Even if it's not selected..........
...it's come a long way baby!!
★
Patricia

Monday, March 3, 2008

★ Artist TattooDream Box ★


★´¨)
¸,•´¸.•¤´¨} ¸.•*¨)
(¸.*´ (¸.*`¤~This is my Artist TattooDream Box. Here's to all artists who hone their craft and share themselves and think......outside the proverbial box!!! This box can hold your creative dreams, desires and future projects. It also 'works' for art collectors..........anyone with an afinity to the creative spirit!

It measures 6" wide and 6" deep and 7" high. Trimmed in bright red handpainted wood feet with sexy black fringe! Very boho and fun! A wonderful hinged lid that closes without a clasp. Inside the box it's lined on the bottom with sultry black velvet. A great box to enjoy as an art or conversation piece.
★
50.00 buys this box on my etsy site.
http://tattoodreams.etsy.com

Patricia Hecker
★