hello fleet week

the Intrepid is permanently docked in NYC



This past Memorial Day Weekend my husband Tom and I decided to venture into the city for a day.  As we drove down the West Side Highway we remembered (and saw) that it was Fleet Week.  We decided to park and walk on over to the Hudson River and check it out.  Fleet Week is an annual event and being able to see and actually board some the ships was an incredible experience.  Many of the service men and women were also on hand to talk, meet, and receive thanks from the thousands of visitors.  It was indeed a rare opportunity.

entering the USS WASP



looking down to my right as entering, this ship is huge!

on the flight deck looking up

planes land here!

one of the planes on board with the city skyline

Tom checking things out

note the "give 'em hell" logo

peering off the ship with the city skyline

To all our service men and women...

Thank you for your continued sacrifices, dedication, and service.

welcome 2012

morning walk 1.1.12

wishing you a 

happy, healthy & peaceful 

2012

♥

hooray for the holidays

merry christmas

happy hanukkah

happy winter solstice

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

xo

♥

photographer: Tom        stylist: Tamara        model: Mel

still baking...

I've been in the kitchen for most of the day today.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I love to bake and had so many ideas for the cookie swap, that I had to just keep baking knowing I still had people I wanted to gift some home baked goodies to and also have places to bring my goodies to this weekend for Christmas!  I started with a dough that needed to chill so it could sit in the fridge for a few hours while I worked on other goods...the Linzer Tart.  My husband claims his mom made this cookie when he was young and I asked my mother in law for her recipe, unfortunately it is one of those recipes that comes without any measurements.  I decided I will wait for her to come over and watch her make them so I can create a recipe to work from.  For this batch, I found a recipe on the internet that seemed tasty and followed that.  I did however use the "infamous" grape jam my husband grew up with in place of raspberry the folks at Epicurious suggested.  I will caution you, this dough is very delicate, but if you have experience with rolled/cut cookies, you should be good.

linzer dough rolled out & cut

making the "sandwiches"!

finishing touches...sprinkle with confectioners sugar

The next two cookies I made were from the 2010 Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies Special Issue.  I love these special issues and never throw them away.  They always have so many good ideas!  The first one is an Italian cookie called Ciambelle (Lemon Wreaths).  They actually look like little doughnuts!  You have to roll the dough out and shape them into wreaths.  It was just like rolling coils in ceramics, very cool.  The best part was dipping them in the lemon glaze and sprinkling on the nonpareils...a very fun cookie to make.  If you have kids they would love to help with this part.

wreaths baked & waiting to be glazed

glazed & drying...mini doughnut anyone?

The next one is bar cookie and was a bit of a challenge at first, but surprisingly easy.  My husband loves eggnog, so when I saw the Eggnog Cheesecake Bars, I thought they would be perfect.  It wasn't until I read I had to bake them in a hot water bath that I got very nervous.  I usually shy away from cheesecake or any recipe that has a "bath" process...but honestly, it was very easy and they came out perfect (I haven't cut them yet, they are still chilling, but they do look perfect!)  

bars in water bath ready to go in oven...I used my turkey roasting pan!

While the bars were baking I was onto a special cookie for my dad.  My grandmother (his mother) used to make a soft raisin cookie, similar to a soft chocolate chip cookie (with raisins instead), but no one in the family has the recipe.  My mother did find a dog-eared recipe card that is "thought" to be the recipe, so I decided to give it a try.  I think they look pretty darn close, however I will have to wait until Sunday for the taste tester to give them a try! 

Dad's raisin cookies cooling

One last item on deck, not really a cookie, but something I remember my other grandmother making and sending my way, Festive Chocolate Pretzels.  I recently thought about these pretzels since M&M introduced the chocolate covered pretzels, of which I can not be left alone with a bag of!  These festive pretzels are so easy to make I even enlisted the help of my husband and we were done in no time.  This is another one kids could easily have a ball with!  I couldn't find the exact recipe I wanted, but with the one I used, I substituted the Hershey's Hugs or Kisses for the Candy Melts you can buy to make your own candies out of.  They are those colored disks they sell many times at stores like Michael's Arts & Crafts.  I bought red ones and then used the holiday red and green M&M's in the center.  I love sweet and salty together so these festive pretzel treats are just perfect.  I plan to make up little cello bags for everyone, and of course keep a few for myself!

Tom placing M&Ms in the melted chocolates

cooled & set...don't forget to save a few for Santa!

I still plan to make a banana pudding for dessert Christmas Eve and bread pudding for Christmas Day!  

What have you been baking?

holiday baking & sharing

packaged and ready to go!

I love to bake.  So when we were invited to my bff's this past weekend for a holiday party and was asked to bring some festive cookies for a "cookie swap", I was super excited to partake. I was however overwhelmed with choices of what to bake!  There are always so many recipes to choose from, and during the holidays especially, so many fun, festive, and delicious ones!  After a few sifts through my recipe "pile" (I have yet to find the best way to organize my recipes...some are in a folder, others in a binder, some are on my computer, and the others are scattered throughout the internet, friends and family)...I decided to make 2 of my favorites.  I made one of the more challenging "cookies" that I only attempt every few years when I really have the time and patience, petit fours (I used this basic recipe but filled mine with raspberry jam, tinted my frosting green and decorated with red hearts, red flowers and sugar gingermen).  After working at Martha Stewart TV for so many years, I really learned the tricks of these by watching John Barricelli, one of the master chefs in the prep kitchen there, (really I would eat the "scrap bowl" while he was making the beautiful creations!)  They are definitely labor intensive and I have to be honest, I did lose about 1/2 of them in the making...but the 1/2 I "lost", were just not as "pretty" for the swap and they stayed home for my husband and I to enjoy.  The other "cookie" I chose to make was not really a cookie either.  It is one of my favorite recipes from a good friend I used to work with at Martha, the worlds best Gingerbread Cake from Gramercy Tavern!  If you love gingerbread the way I do, I really recommend trying this recipe.  The original one is made in a bundt pan, however I decided to make individual cakes (reducing the baking time accordingly) and package them in cello bags with a cute tag.  Again, this way I could contribute to the swap with a smaller, take away portion.  With so many cookies, I felt the cakes were a great addition at the end of the night for the guests to bring home and eat the next morning, perhaps with their coffee, or share with other family members.  Another great thing about this gingerbread cake recipe is that it just gets better after a day or two!  Making these individual cakes also reminded me of the small loaves of zucchini and banana bread my mom, husband and I made as part of our wedding favors.  We made the breads to go along with jars of currant jam my mom made from the berries my dad grew in his garden.  Small home baked gifts of breads, cakes and cookies are always loved by just about anyone and what better way to spread the love and give thanks to someone during the holidays?  Maybe you have someone on your list you too can bake for.....the dog walker, babysitter, postman, kid's teachers, house keeper, doorman? Kids love to bake too!  Really, who doesn't love homemade AND home baked?  What is your favorite holiday cookie recipe?

individual gingerbreads baked, cooling and waiting for packaging

this years petit fours!

my cookie swap box to come home!  

note the festive gingerbread owl peering out made by my bff (and the host) Sweet Dani B!

Whooos ready for the holidays now?

happy birthday mel

Our dog Mel had a birthday this week.

Since we adopted/rescued Mel, we are not sure of his exact age or birthday, so we decided to make the day we brought him home his official "I Gotcha Birthday".

Last Thanksgiving weekend we visited the Yonkers Animal Shelter in Yonkers, NY.  They have over 100 dogs (and some cats too) and after speaking with an adoption coordinator and trainer, they introduced us to several dogs.  Once we met Mel however...the rest was history.

For his birthday I made Mel tuna cupcakes!  He LOVED them.  I adapted the recipe from several I found on the internet.  For those of you who have picky eaters like me, I suggest giving them a try.

Mel's Tuna Cuppies

3 Eggs

1 Can Tuna (I used the kind packed in water, drained)

1 C Flour (I used white, but whole wheat would be great too)

Mix together in a bowl

Pour into 3 ramekins - I used Pam to make sure they came out

Put in microwave on high for about 3-5 minutes

- They will expand like a souffle!

Let cook on wire rack, you can remove from ramekins after a few minutes

Once cool, ice with cream cheese

♥ ENJOY ♥

craft paper table runner

One of the best things, besides inviting 16 of my loving family members to Thanksgiving dinner this year, was to create a craft paper table runner on my tables.  In my previous post I wrote about how my husband Tom and I used 2 tables placed end to end to create one long table for enough seating for this years feast.  I then covered them both with brown table coverings and made craft paper runners to create one unified look.  I placed crayons on the table for the enjoyment of not only the children, but also the adults.  I am fortunate to have several artists in the family, and as you can see, really everyone just loves to draw and doodle from time to time.  I highly suggest this for your next holiday meal or dinner party with friends!

My niece Casidy was working for quite some time on her masterpiece!

My nephew Garrett created a "placemat" around his dessert plate.

My sister...thinking about decorating the tree (already?!)

My husband Tom...entertaining my niece!

My Uncle Bill left a "thank you" drawing!  

He and my Aunt Dawn joined us this year from Rhode Island.

There was even some math problem solving going on!

My niece Lilah wasn't left out in her high chair... 

she joined in with her own personal box of crayons.

My father (a retired art teacher) gave my niece Casidy a mini art lesson on how to draw a deer!

I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving and had a chance to enjoy the long weekend with

 family, friends & love ones.

♥

last minute details

If you are like me, you may be prepping for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.  I am excited to have 16 family members join us at our home, the most we have ever had since my husband and I "took over" the holiday a few years back.  To make things easier on myself, I assigned my guests, (they are family after all), some of the menu items.  This way everyone will have a part in contributing to the holiday meal. 
A quick time saver I have been practicing for years is using post-its on my serving dishes.  What a simple way to know exactly what item goes in which dish or plate!  It is also especially helpful when you have helpers in the kitchen on Thanksgiving day.  I guess my years of styling at Martha Stewart has influenced me here.  We use post-its on the mise en place bowls for the chefs in the prep kitchen as we prep each cooking segment. Tried and true!  So when you pull out your serving dishes tonight, give it a try!

Since we are having 16 people tomorrow, seating arrangements became a challenge, but not for long!  We, (my husband Tom and I), came up with a clever way to "attach" 2 tables together.  We placed 2 tables end to end, covered them with dark brown tablecloths, and then I created a craft paper runner down the center.  Even though the tables are not the exact same sizes, they still feel unified in how they are "dressed".  Complete with crayons for guests to creatively adorn once seated.

Also note the cute place card in the plate's center.  My sister and niece are making and bringing "apple turkeys" tomorrow for the name cards to attach to.  My bff Sweet Dani B designed this card for a "Friends Thanksgiving" I had this past weekend and has now made it a downloadable template on her website!  

my dog Mel with his cookie made by Sweet Dani B from our "Friends Thanksgiving"

So if you too need a place card for your table tomorrow, it's not too late!  Check her blog post from today and just print & cut.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

the challenge

I shared this photo with Tom for his 1st photo...It 's a family portrait 9/25/11

There are many challenges in everyday life.  One I find I come across more often than not is the constant struggle to create art in my everyday life.  I consider myself a working artist, however most days I feel I work more than I make personal art.  Last year I did give myself the "challenge" of entering and completing The Sketchbook Project.  I had a great time participating and welcomed the challenge...however I have to be honest and admit, a little part of me has been missing my sketchbook.  I will definitely have to go visit it now that the books have returned to the Brooklyn Art Library's permanent collection.  While on vacation last week, my husband Tom was showing me one of  the latest i Phone apps he had downloaded called Photo365.  We are both photographers, he is as a professional photographer and I have a degree in photography where it has now become a favorite hobby more than a profession, but never the less, we are both usually snapping away with some kind of camera, and many times, it is with our i Phones.  So there we were looking at our i Phone photos of the day and decided, wouldn't it be a great challenge to do Photo365 together!  We decided to make the official "start" date our 7 year anniversary, and then go for a year and see what we each come up with.  I even added it to our "shared" calendar so each day at noon an alarm goes off  on our i Phones to remind us to take our daily photo.  Last night Tom told me it is much harder to "do this" now that we are no longer on vacation...I do agree.  However I feel that makes it even more of a challenge.  Maybe some days will not have a photo, and that is ok too. What I see is most important is to at least try to find some time where you can look, feel or find some inspiration to help create art for yourself, then the rest can all fall into place.  Sometimes just making the commitment is the challenge in itself.

This is my 1st photo...9/25/11

Katie, over at Adventures of an Art Teacher talks about setting goals in art as well and about the Project 365 in 2010.  I "googled" Project 365 and found that there are many photographers and Flickr sites out there where photographers have been taking daily photos and recording them, some better than others.  I think it is often a great idea for recording a pregnancy, aging of your children, progress of a garden,  or even the growth of animals. I am definitely looking forward to Tom's and mine.  

Has anyone else started a new and interesting challenge? 

i am 1,199,164,176 seconds old...and counting

My husband and I had brunch at the Bedford Post, in Bedford, NY.

I started the meal with a delicious cappuccino and warm cinnamon bun!

Last weekend was my birthday.  I had a great day spending it with my family.  Late in the afternoon it started to rain and storm pretty bad...however this weekend we are hunkering down in preparation for hurricane Irene to hit the East Coast, so I suppose last weekend's storm is not looking so awful after all.  These photos captured my latest birthday as seen through my i-phone....

We took our dog Mel for a hike at Mountain Lakes Park in North Salem, NY

On our hike I stumbled upon a red toadstool with white spots!  

I have never seen a real mushroom like this in person.

I really loved the vibrant red of these mushrooms too!

Seeing acorn caps scattered around reminded me I better get started on ornament making soon....

the craft sales and holidays will be here before you know it!

Mountain Lakes has a great sandy beach area where Mel took a little dip!  Here I caught him mid-shake!

After a family dinner with my husband, parents, sister and her family...we ATE CAKE!

I love cake...all kinds of sweets really!  

This year my sister made a "funfetti" cake and iced it with a swirly pattern that resembled tye dye.  

Very fun and festive, not to mention delicious!

My niece Casidy and Mel watching the festivities. 

 Her birthday is 5 days later so we actually celebrated together and shared birthday wishes.

Till next year...

 ♥

i ♥ risd

I love RISD (Rhode Island School of Design)...really, I do.  Whenever someone mentions the school, the word,  or even Providence at that matter...my eyes light up and I am instantly reminded of all the wonderful experiences I had as a student there oh too many years ago!  Yes, it has a reputation as being one of the best art schools in the country...but for me, and most of the people I know who went there, it is so much more.  The exceptional teachers, the array of remarkable art classes, the amazing and unique friends I met while spending night after night in the studio to complete project after project....they are all a part of who I am today.  I love to visit the school and Providence.  Living only a few hours away and having family not far from Providence brings me to the area at least once or twice a year.  For many years my closest college friends and I would visit every October for Parent and Alumni Weekend.  The best part about that weekend it the student and alumni sale where RISD-ites show off their talents and sell their handmade goods.  I am never at a loss for something to buy at those sales and sometimes I even participate.  The city has definitely changed since I was a student...but absolutely for the better.  It has gone through a renaissance that has beautified parts that needed help, yet the history and charm of old world Providence seems untouched.  A few weekends ago my husband and I made a quick stop in Providence on our way back from visiting family.  Our time was limited so I knew we wouldn't be able to hit every favorite spot, but I also knew whatever we did see would still be excellent! We had our dog Mel with us so we set out on a little walking tour.   Of course my husband has heard the same stories a hundred times....but I thought Mel would enjoy a peek at what I was doing before he was even born!

One of my favorite stops...the mailroom!

The RISD museum has vastly expanded since I was a student.  It has a fabulous and diverse collection...a MUST see if you are in town!

The infamous RISD "beach".  Most students spend hours on this small patch of lawn, a great meeting place around the dorms in the center of the campus.  Note the tape "installation" on the wall welcoming the summer pre-college students!

Close up of the sculpture on the beach (Tom took this one).

Students selling their goods on the beach overlooking Benefit Street - where the student/alumni sale is in the fall.

The Nature Lab - One of the best places to spend countless hours examining specimens and drawing their likeness.  An amazingly original asset to the campus.

Mel & Tom resting while I shopped a bit at the RISD store!

The lower end of the museum on North Main St. which also features a the RISD Works store - all items are developed and/or made by RISD students/graduates.

This stairwell used to be a small, back alley when I was a student...Mel enjoyed the improvement!

Taking a lunch break down by the canal at Union Station Brewery.  They were so nice there, filled up Mel's bowl and gave us a table outside so he could take a rest while we ate.

Downtown Providence and the canal has gone through a "renaissance" since I was a student.  This bridge leading to the canal has been renovated and a September 11th memorial has been created by local students.

It is called the Wall of Hope.

I looked up and these old chandeliers were looking down at me...I love how the old mixes with the revived and new.

Several times a year the city holds what is called Waterfire Providence.   Waterfire was created by local artists as part of the revitalization movement and is a powerful work of art where fires are lit on the rivers at night as choreographed music plays and firetenders boat past...symbolizing the renaissance of the city.  The dark black orbs you see floating on the river in my photo are where some of the fires are lit.

My husband & Mel did get a treat from the RISD store...a new sticker for Tom's truck.  He has a pretty descent collection of stickers from all places we go...so when I saw the "my dog digs risd" bone shaped sticker...I knew he would find the perfect spot for it!  'Cause after all, Mel definitely shares my love for RISD now!