My Artistic Side

Every since I was a kid I have been fascinated by art. I remember drawing everything I could, freehand. When I was about 10, I free-handed a whimsical unicorn that my mom had on a collectors plate. I just looked at the unicorn and drew. I remember cutting it out and showing it to my mom. It was almost exactly to scale, and very detailed. I remember how proud I was when it was finished, even though I drew with a blue ball-point pen. I remember around that same time I created my own cartoon characters. I think they were a family of monsters. Although, they were essentially the same character, they were very different. I remember wanting to draw like my mom and paint like her mom. Between dreaming of becoming a veterinarian or a doctor, I dreamt of being an artist.

I don't really know what happened, but one day I just stopped creating. I'm not sure if the life of a teenager got in the way, or what. I never lost that passion, or desire for art. I just stopped creating. I remember my mom's mom informing me there was no such thing as purple mountains, after I proudly showed her a painting I had done based on one of her own paintings. Which, by the way, her mountains were in fact purple! Maybe it was her comment alone, that made me put down the paint brushes and pencils and pastels.

Over the years I've tried to motivate and inspire myself to create more and more. Most of the time I get side tracked with life, but since moving to Denmark, I've felt the need to be more creative. Not to mention, I finally have the time to put into my painting. 

So, you want to see some of the paintings I've done? 

Please, try not to be too harsh, I'm still learning to like my own work.

This one currently hangs in my living room. A friend once described it as a dart player's worse nightmare.

I apologize for the terrible quality of some of these pictures, I would re-take them, but I no longer have the paintings.

I painted this one on an old drawer front.

Photo taken before the painting was complete.

This was a painting I did for my sister in-law Mathilde.

This one isn't finished yet, but it seems to be taking me a very long time finish it.

Now that you've seen some of them, what are your thoughts? 

Happy Monday & A Few Changes

Happy Monday y'all! 

I've had one heck of a busy schedule lately, and there is a chance things may be changing here on my blog. I've had several encouraging conversations with a few friends about my paintings over the past week. 

While I will still be posting about my life here in Denmark and the recipes I've been making, I think I will start adding in some of my art. 

I would love to have a little craft blog, but the reality is, the supplies I need to make that a success are few and far between here in the land of Danes. Even with my cooking, some ingredients I would have to import in order to cook like many Americans (who make up the majority of my followers) do/would. In some cases you would have to search high and low for some of the ingredients that are readily available here. I try hard to list substitutions for some ingredients. If for some reason I fail to do so and you need help with a substitution, feel free to ask, I don't mind at all.

So, starting tomorrow I will be posting some of the paintings I have done over the past year, and possibly add some of the processes I used to create them.

In the meantime, I am leaving you with the video I took of my husband, Hans, and our friend Richard singing Hot Chocolate's "You Sexy Thing" on Sing Star.

An Unexpected Christmas Surprise

I know this post is WAY late, but I had forgotten all about it! 

On December 9th I received an email from the USPS informing me of a package being sent to me from my mom back in Texas. When I talked to her she told me that is was a little surprise for "all the girls" in the family. She wouldn't tell me what it was or even give me a hint. Instead I had to sit and wait patiently. For those of you who don't know me very well, patience is not something I have acquired in the past 30 years. 

The wait was agony, but the package finally arrived a couple of weeks later. I tore into it as fast as I possibly could. I'm pretty sure my husband hid under his desk, afraid I might cut him open in the process.

I refused to unwrap the goodness that awaited me until I had ready the attached letter and information. This had Hans rather perplexed. For someone so impatient, why would I wait to see what it is until AFTER I have read everything? Well, I guess it's the OCD kicking in. I have to do it a certain way, and that was the order in which I decided it should be done.

Anyway, got the letters read, and ripped off the bubble wrap to reveal these beautiful pieces.

Both of which were produced by the Cambridge Glass Company in Cambridge, Ohio. My Great-Great-Great Grandmother worked for the Cambridge Glass Company and there are rumors that my Great-Great Grandfather worked there as well. The factory produced some of the USA's most elegant glassware from 1901-1958.

This trinket box (also called a toilet box) is from the Mount Vernon line, which was produced in 1931 and continued for more than 20 years. This line was a modified Stratford line, which had a larger diamond pattern.

This pitcher is in the Fernland Pattern. Cambridge started with pressed glass which was called Near Cut. It was produced to allow the beauty of the cut glass to be more affordable to the general public. The earliest reference to the Fernland line was found in a 1906 Cambridge catalog. Fernland was phased out sometime around 1910, so it is safe to assume this pitcher is at least 100 years old!

There is some faint "sun-purling" to the pitcher. During and after the Civil War, lead was in short supply so manganese was used in glass products to give the same brilliance seen in leaded crystal. It was discovered that if these pieces were placed in direct sunlight, they would get a purple hue to them. The UV light causes a chemical reaction. Some people like it and other's don't. Some avid collectors feel it makes the pieced flawed. I personally think it shows age and character.

For more information on Cambridge Glass, check out cambridgeglass.org and check out the MVSG albums. There is a wealth of information. If you're interested in the history of the company, go check out A Brief History of the Cambridge Glass Company.

I think these pieces are by far the best gifts I have ever received! 

Thanks Mom!

Cleaning The Oven

If you haven't already noticed, I do a lot of cooking around here. Because of that, my oven looked liked this.

I know, pretty disgusting, huh? 

Thankfully, the inside was spotless, in comparison.

I decided to take the advice from a cleaning guru, Anna from Ask Anna. She has an entire post dedicated to cleaning your oven. 

I took her advice and made a baking soda paste. 

(One thing I miss terribly about moving from the US is that baking soda does not come in a big box. Instead we get about 1/4 to 1/2 cup worth in a very small plastic jar. I ended up using 2 jars of baking soda to this little project, but it was well worth it in then end.)

I let mine sit for about an hour since it was so nasty, I wiped off the baking soda paste, only to find that nothing much had happened.

So, I got a small stool to sit on, and a small bowl of water and one of those green Scotch Brite pads (I have always just called them green scrubber pads) on a sponge and began scrubbing the snot (yep, I really said that) out of it. 

The entire process took me a little over an hour. I was able to remove the glass to clean both sides and I even broke out the Q-tips to get in the crevices. 

Now it's all pretty and shiny, and even better, I am able to see what is in there!

Now side by side...

Now, the big question, how often do you really clean your oven?

Linking up here:
Ginger Snap Crafts
Polkadots On Parade
Someday Crafts
Organize and Decorate Everything
Not So Homemade

Red Beet Chips

Beet Chips

250 grams of raw beets (about 2 small-medium)
1-2 tsp salt to taste (optional)


Start by peeling beets over a bowl, sink, or garbage can - they 'bleed'


Slice beets thinly and as uniform as possible (I used a mandolin at 1.5 mm - as that as the thinnest my cheap mandolin will go.)


Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer.


Sprinkle with salt or other spices if desired. (Cinnamon would go nicely as well.)


Bake in a preheated oven (300F/150C) for about 30 minutes, keeping a close eye on them after about 25 minutes. 

• The thicker they are, the longer they will take to cook. 
• 
  
• They may still be a bit soft when they are finished baking, but should crisp up more once they cool.
• 
  
• If they are too moist, stick them back in the oven until they are to your liking. 

Here is what the beets will look like, (starting from the top right and moving clockwise):

The 1st chip has cooked for 35 minutes, but was too thick. 

The 2nd was cooked for 35 minutes as well, but still soggy. 

The 3rd chip was again cooked at 35 minutes, and has a slight crisp to it, but is still not crisp enough for my liking. 

Finally, the 4th chip was cooked at 35 min. like the others, but it was sliced much, much thinner. The color has changed from a deep reddish purple to a rusty brown. This chip is perfect in my book, and has a good crunch. 

*Do not mix the moist chips with the dry. The dry chips will become soggy.


If completely dried out, they should last for a couple of days in an airtight container.

Nutritional Value for 2 small-medium beets (250 grams raw):

150 Calories

0 grams of fat

0 grams of saturated fat

3.75 grams of protein

28.5 grams of carbohydrates

15 grams of sugar

5 grams of fiber

Linking up here:
Ginger Snap Crafts
Polkadots On Parade
Someday Crafts

Valentine's Decor

I haven't done a whole lot (so far) as far Valentine's Day goes, but I have tried to implement a few things. I started with my Valentine's wreath and then I made a printable

It's not much, but if you want it, feel free to grab it for yourself. (Just right click and save, then print - I made this for a square frame, if you like it but would like a rectangular size, just leave me a comment or send me an email and I will be happy to make one.)

Anyway, the last bit I've added was this

I'm not sure what to call it, a candle-scape?

Here they are together.

When I get it all finished, I will take some more pictures, but this is as far as I've gotten. What do you think?

Linking up here:
Bacon Time with The Hungry Hungry Hypo

Valentine's Day Wreath

I have had the heart for about a year now, just sitting around waiting for me to be creative. Sometime last spring I began wrapping it with red yarn, it was taking forever and I put it down to start dinner. It sat around, half finished until last week. I was out shopping and found the grapevine wreath randomly, so I snatched it up and knew exactly what I would do. 

I took some of the leftover ribbon from my Christmas tree, which happened to be perfect for Valentine's Day. I wrapped the wreath with the ribbon, and stuck a wooden skewer through the wrapped styrofoam heart. I then tied the skewer to the wreath and just used red construction paper for the tip and 'feathers' of my arrow, attaching them with a piece of clear tape. I added some leftover picks from my fall decor, which I had spray painted red for Christmas, and viola! 

I think me little shelf turned out pretty cute. Now, if I could just figure out what to do with my 'fantel'

Do you decorate for Valentine's Day?

Linking up here:
Ginger Snap Crafts
Polkadots On Parade
Someday Crafts
Organize and Decorate Everything
Bacon Time with The Hungry Hungry Hypo
Not So Homemade

Orange Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake

 My friend Sarah stopped by for coffee yesterday, and I needed to make something to eat along with it. I knew I needed to make something a couple of days in advance, but I procrastinated. Monday morning came, and I had visions of something chocolate or salted caramel. When I walked into my kitchen to see what I had those decadent visions were soon deflated. I scrounged around and determined I could make a coffee cake, but I didn't want your average coffee cake. The whole chocolate idea had me thinking about those chocolate oranges back home. Since I don't care for milk chocolate, I decided to break out the 80%.

This coffee cake exceeded my expectations, and was even moist after sitting uncovered all day yesterday. It's very orang-y and choco-licious! The calories aren't as low as I would like, but I did cut them down by about 1/2 of what they could have been, I'm sure if I had more time, I could have shaved even more off that number.

Orange Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake
Topping:
1/4 cup (4.7 grams) of Splenda
2 teaspoons (14.59 grams) molasses
1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon (8 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (15 grams) melted butter


Cake: 
2 cups (198 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) white sugar mixed with 1/4 cup (4.7 grams) of Splenda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (54 grams) olive oil
2/3 cup (160 milliliters) orange juice
1 orange, zested
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 bar (100 grams) dark chocolate, chopped (I used 80%)


Preheat oven to 350F/175C. 


Lightly grease and flour a round spring form pan.


In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1 tablespoon melted butter - for the topping.


In a large bowl, mix 2 cups flour, sugar + Splenda, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.


Add oil, orange juice, orange zest, and eggs. 


Mix batter to combine.


Fold in chocolate chunks, reserving about 1/4 for the topping.

Pour into the cake pan. 


Sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture and chocolate.


Bake for about 30 minutes or until a fork or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


Let cool and run a knife along the edges of the spring form pan before releasing. 


Invert cake onto a plate and run a knife around the bottom to separate the cake from the bottom part of the pan.


Invert the cake again by placing another plate on the bottom and flipping the whole cake over.


Now, dig in!

Nutritional Value for 1/10 of the cake:

229.9 calories 

12.27 grams of fat

3.47 grams of saturated fat

4.48 grams of protein

25.37 grams of carbohydrates

9.55 grams of sugar

1.25 grams of fiber

Linking up here:
Not So Homemade

Baked Kale Chips

They certainly don't look like they've been baked, but they have. These kale chips are light, crispy, and delicious. They remind me of roasted broccoli, only much more delicate.

Baked Kale Chips

kale (I used about 250 grams)

2 teaspoons oil (I use my oil sprayer)

1/2 -1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350F/177C

Remove stems (I cut mine on both sides along the stem to completely remove.) and cut into smaller, bite sized pieces.

Place kale on a parchment lined baking sheet, spray generously with oil, and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

A few tips for baking and eating:

• They burn quickly, so try to make the pieces uniform in size, and pay close attention to them after 20 minutes.
• If they're not completely cooked, they will crisp up a bit after they've cooled.
• A little salt goes a long way, you can also add other spices as you please.
• They are best eaten the day you make them.

Nutritional Value (for the entire recipe):

161.75 calories
5.75 grams of fat
0.25 grams of saturated fat
8.25 grams of protein
24.75 grams of carbohydrates
0 grams of sugar
4.75 grams of fiber

Linking up here:
Not Just A Housewife
Chef In Training
Sugar Bee Crafts

New Year's Eve, Danish Style

So, 6 days into 2012 and I'm finally getting around to post about our New Year's Eve. Not too bad...right?

Hans and I were invited to spend NYE with some of our International friends (All of the ladies are foreigners while the men are Danes).

Sarah from Australia, and her husband Dennis

Demelza (Mel) from the Netherlands, and her husband Tommy

and Sheryl from the Philippines, and her husband Lars.

Hans and I were both excited to join all of them, even though he was still feeling a little sick from Thursday. We donned our NYE hats and dressed festively (we're both jeans and t-shirt kind of people, so it was 'fancy' for us). 

Hans picked our hats. While they weren't what I had been hoping for, they ended up being perfect for us. 

We enjoyed a 3 course meal with - 

2 appetizers - a choice between chicken or lamb shish-kabobs 

and spinach dip in a cob bowl.

2 main courses - roast beef with baked potatoes

 a lentil salad with arugula, sun dried tomatoes, and mozzarella - sans confetti and glitter,

and a potato and apple side dish, that was delicious!

For dessert there was a cheese and fruit platter

and a 'fail cake' I'm not sure what kind of cake it was, but Mel said it was a failure because the icing wouldn't stay on.

We had plenty to eat, and even more to drink. Sadly, we had to leave before desert was served, but we had a wonderful evening with great friends.

How did you spend your New Year's Eve?