This vase of flowers has been lurking in my office/studio, waiting to be remembered.
Today I made great progress on it. Although the flowers wilted some time ago and I ate the pear, I continued from memory, and also looked at the empty vase and another pear.
I chose to start with Cadmium Yellow Pale. Then I used a couple of layers of Cerulean Blue.
Next time I’ll show you what happened after this!
I was taking a photo of the corn in my mini garden, and look what appeared! I caught this hummingbird on the fly with my wide-angle lens.
For some time, I have been planning a watercolor painting with sunflowers. Recently I began this project.
First I set up near my raised garden bed and drew two of the sunflowers with a goldenrod Prismacolor pencil on Arches coldpress paper. Then I began painting with a layer of Holbein Cerulean Blue.
My next color was Cadmium Yellow Pale, added to the petals and leaves.
Here is a photo of my subject. Next time: some details!
Anyone who reads my blog regularly (thank you!!!) knows that I like to re-invent oatmeal cookie recipes…and today I have another unique combination to share. This time I added plums and cocoa powder. They are gooey, and delectable!
Chocolate Plum Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly oil a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish.
Mix 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a large bowl.
Stir in 1 lightly beaten egg, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 3 ripe plums, well mashed (1 cup), 1 tablespoon of molasses, and 1/4 cup of milk.
Add 2 cups of uncooked oatmeal, 1 cup of golden raisins, and 1 cup of chopped walnuts.
Spread the batter in the dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not over bake!
Cool and cut into 24 bars. Store in a well sealed container.
Not far south of Mount Shasta in the southernmost Cascades of far northern California, there is an amazing granite formation known as Castle Crags, within aptly named Castle Crags State Park.
Driving north on Interstate 5 just beyond Shasta Lake, it appears suddenly, towering above the freeway on the west side.
On a recent trip to the area, I photographed the crags from near and far. They are amazingly beautiful from any angle!
This spring I planted nasturtiums in my yard for the first time.
My mom had nasturtiums all over her yard, and I always admired them. So I planted seeds in every garden bed.
Things got off to a slow start, and I worried that I under and over watered, that they had too little or too much sun, and that they were crowded by other plants. Then it warmed up to our regular summer temperatures, and kazzam! Nasturtiums everywhere.
Each location has a distinct color associated with it. My favorite shades are the creamy ones near our front walkway. They are in partial shade and seem to be doing very well. The ones in the full sun look like they are struggling a bit, with faded leaves.
My goal is to keep these flowers going without allowing them to take over any spot.
They are a great way to fill in around the edges of a garden bed and add brilliant color!
My organic vegetable garden is full of flowers – and pollinators!
The bees are buzzing and the squash, tomatoes, green beans, corn, and lettuce are growing like crazy.
Can’t wait until the tomatoes ripen!
These beans are about ready.
And the squash is delicious!
While we were in the Mount Shasta area of far northern California earlier this week, I took these wildflower photos. Sam and I were very fortunate. The temperature was only in the 70s and low 80s while we were on our trip. During the previous week, the temperature had been over 100 degrees.
It’s always exciting for me whenever I get to be in the mountains. But wildflowers can be enjoyed in so many other environments as well!
Here is some lupine, which seems to grow almost everywhere in this state.
I don’t know what this one is, but it appears to be just a color variation of the first flower in this post.
I love thistles!
What wildflower medley would be complete without the appearance of a bee?
This week my husband and I were in the Mount Shasta area of far northern California, and I had the opportunity to gaze upon and photograph this majestic peak of over 14.000 feet elevation. Mount Shasta dominates the landscape for many miles. I have seen it in every season, and never grow weary of the view!
In honor of my two hundredth post of the year, I am sharing a recipe that I developed myself. I modified a pumpkin bread recipe from my Fannie Farmer cookbook, which I have owned since the early 1980’s. It was actually my very first cookbook!
I was headed out of town and wanted to use up some zucchini before I left. I also had some plums which I thought would make an interesting addition. This bread is tasty and healthy. I hope you will try it!
Zucchini Plum Tea Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil two 4-cup and four 2-cup Pyrex glass bowls (this recipe makes two standard loaves).
Mix 2 grated zucchinis (1 1/2 cups packed), 4 large mashed plums (1 1/2 cups), 1 cup vegetable oil, the juice of 1 large lemon (1/4 cup-I used the juice left from the grated lemon zest in my last recipe), 2 whole beaten eggs, 2 beaten egg whites, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon ginger.
Add 4 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Mix until just blended.
Fold in 1 cup of chopped nuts. Put the batter into the bowls and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If you bake this recipe in two standard loaf pans, you will need to add 10 minutes to the baking time. Cool and remove from the bowls. Enjoy!
When You're Bored 