Just a great image I happened upon while noodling at the laptop

Spurred on by a link from LaRose for a recipe for Black-Eyed Peas that was missing the secret ingredient of salt-pork, or fatback, or a term I love, but was unfamiliar with- White Bacon, I discovered this amazing image on Wikipedia. White Bacon sounds way more lethal than saltpork and much more appetizing than fatback.

Being 99% vegetarian, I do not cook with animal fats nowadays. If I were to cash in my 1% meat card, I would do so for saltpork with my black-eyed peas for the New Year.

In lieu of fatback, I've been able to make a flavorful vegetarian option by sauteing onions until they're sugary brown. Cooking with vegetable stock is also a good idea. I also add a little celery. Serve with collards, save 3 peas on your plate for good luck, and know that 2010 will be fanf'ntastic.

White Bacon. That's great.

Perhaps I will discover more time in 2009.

Twoth (2009)

I am SO behind on things, but I'm also trying to have balance, which is why I cut out of the studio after accomplishing a task. I met a buyer while I was in Nashville and we got in a nice little chat about recycled products and the green economy. I was eyeballing the English Retread purses when she approached me, and after cooing over those bags, I told her about my Used Rubber bag which still looks brand new after 10 years. One thing led to another and as we were exchanging numbers I pulled out one of my homemade memo pads, which immediately caught her eye (she's a buyer) and led us into another discussion which ended with her recommending a site for me to check out, called supermarkethq.com. Like Etsy, but curated. Hopefully I'll get in. It's very design-oriented and I am anti-design-oriented, but who knows, maybe my anti-design will be considered design this year. This would be for my multiples and odds and ends stuff. I put that package together today. I make it sound like a huge deal- scanning the work, taking the pics, writing the bio, etc; It's not, but for some reason, I always have a Eureka! moment in the middle of doing something, which leads to either to an improvement or an offshoot idea, which I am compelled to implement on the spot. The printer also ran out of ink. I finally finished up that task and the offshoot brainstorming ideas that came with it, and called it a day. I am well aware I over-used and possibly mis-used 'which' in the above paragraph. My apologies to the grammar cops.

I'm behind on posting the new old stock of smaller works over at the smaller works site and I still have 4 paintings living in the studio without titles, not to mention that I've got to get rolling on those works again. I don't diversify easily.

So, I cut out of the studio after accomplishing one task, in order to make Matt a Red Velvet birthday cake. I'm still 5 days late. To be fair, his birthday was on Xmas day and I was in Nashville. It's my first RV cake and although I would rather have made it vegan, it's not my birthday, so I'm following my friend, Martha's recipe, and going full-on dairy.

I've left out the part about trying to troubleshoot a brand new answering machine from 2000 miles away.

It's raining.

Actually, I've decided to bake a coffee cake rather than blog this morning.

The Power of Porridge

A hot bowl of oatmeal is the greatest food in the world. Just saying.

I picked up the smaller paintings while in Nashville and on my way home stopped by a friend's restaurant to say hello. Long story short, she hung the work impromptu in the restaurant. So, if you're in Nashville, specifically at the historic Belle Meade Plantation, have lunch, enjoy art. Martha's at the Plantation.

Was supposed to continue working on website for someone this morning, but they've pushed it to this afternoon. The commission piece is almost done, so I'm going to continue tromping around the studio with the latest set of smaller paintings, until I have to shift gears.