Hi Everyone :)
Hope your Sunday is going well. There is a blizzard outside and that makes me happy today! I know that this kind of weather will keep the tourists away...there is a winter festival going on in the village and I just want some peace and quiet. This week I tried a new recipe: Dom's Mom's Stuffed Eggplant Rolls. This is from the first of Dom Deluise's cookbooks. It turned out really delicious and it was SO easy to make! I served it with a pasta with butter and minced garlic. What a nice treat! :)
The recipe called for Ricotta cheese so I made some...I refuse to pay $7 for a half cup of Ricotta at the store! I made 2 cups with some milk that needed to be used, and it cost me $6.50. It tastes better too! :) The recipe also calls for Marinara Sauce. I had ONE Mason jar left that I'd made last fall. Next year I will have to can a lot more of it because we are using more than I thought we would!
Speaking of Mason jars...how is your pantry holding out? We're almost March and I have only 3 jars of apple sauce left!! I canned 30 jars last October. I use apple sauce mainly for the dogs...to hide pills, supplements and for treats. With 5 dogs, I guess I would have needed to double up the canning. I'm getting low on canned tomatoes too...it seems that 65 pounds of tomatoes isn't enough to tide us over the winter anymore!
I've been spending a lot of my time on my art projects. I'm really loving how my life is going lately. I wonder why it took me so long to realize how much I enjoy this! I wanted to show you guys one of the new techniques I've been playing with. My friend Serena shared one of her techniques with me. She suggested I try watercolour as a base, then add colored pencil to the drawing to give it more ooomph, and it definitely has ooomph! :) Thanks again Serena. :) xx I added a few more layers of yellow and bright orange to the piece at the end to cut down the redness a little. I like this technique though I really do need more of a quality sketchpad for this. I bought a Dollar Store one because I wanted to make sure I liked what I was doing. Now that I know I do, I'll be getting some more supplies next shopping day!
**Thanks to those who showed interest in the cookbook I'm giving away! (Tpals you have a good idea, I think I will add a few more little surprises to the package...thanks for the suggestion!) I'll announce the winner on Wednesday's post. There is still time if you are interested. :)
Yum...this looks so good.
ReplyDelete(Even the paintings look delicious!)
I've read your garden's tarot cards and I see many more tomatoes in its future.
ReplyDeletethat looks delicious!!! Your painting is so warm,, beautiful,
ReplyDeleteRain - happy belated birthday! and remember what they say - "50 is the new 30"!!! your meal looks deelish but it's your ricotta that i really want! and that pizza from your last post - yummeh!
ReplyDeletetoday i am making home-made beef broth to can as we only have one jar left. we still have 5 or 6 veg broths, and 5 or 6 chicken broths - i guess we use a lot of beef broth! i still have 10-12 litres of red tomatoes frozen-from-our-own plants the day they were picked. and 6 litres of green tomatoes to make more chow. we still have enough of each canned that there is no rush to get at them.
i also made homemade croutons that we put in salads and soups - but they also make a great snack (better than eating chips - arghgghgh!) if you get your seasoning to your liking.
your playing with different forms of painting is really showing through and i am glad that you are having such fun allowing your creativity to flow.
sending much love to you and Alex and your dogs and cats. your friend,
kymber
Not sure I could do that meal!! haha...not a fan of eggplant, can we go back to the pancakes please. Keep up with the art work. Matter fact, I might paint this evening.
ReplyDeleteThe eggplant looks really good. There's this Asian recipe I'd like to try that makes it spicy.
ReplyDeleteYour meal looks so delicious! I'll have to check out that recipe. And it's really nice to see you enjoying your artwork. I am really loving the results of your efforts. I got some new coloured pencils and I hope my motivation lifts. I did a drawing yesterday but haven't coloured it in yet, which is the fun part! Today we started off with freezing rain and then it warmed up to 9 degrees! That's spring in Canada...LOL... Hope you're enjoying a lovely evening.
ReplyDeleteThe eggplant rolls looks delicious. I love eggplant. I canned 72 pints of applesauce last fall. We eat it several times a week and I have given a lot away. I used up the last of my canned tomatoes, but have little tomato plants growing indoors under a grow light. I will plant them around Easter. I always look forward to fresh tomatoes. What lucky dogs to get applesauce. I may have to try hiding my dog's pills in applesauce; I had never thought of that. Jana
ReplyDeleteYou are so talented!!! The canning, the cheese, the art. I want to be you when I grow up (of course I'm 52 so I better hurry, ha).
ReplyDeleteDelicious food and lovely art, always great to visit you!
ReplyDeleteYou food looks yummy as always.
ReplyDeleteYou did so much canning. I can not believe it is almost depleted! Now you know for next year.
Your art work is wonderful and I am glad to see you are learning new techniques. How fun.
I'm not an eggplant fan, but this looks worth of a try. Ricotta sure is expensive, and it's so cool that you can make your own and save all that cash.I sure like the way you've explained that artwork, and the colors are so wonderfully vibrant and lovely. Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteThese sound yummmy.
ReplyDeleteMy husband makes Eggplant Parm, now and then. He used G/F items, so I can eat it. Ohhhh sooooo goooood!
Wow, your paintings do pop!!!!! Great new technique.
Just noticed Pavlov in older post. How is he doing, poor baby??????
Is making ricotta easy? I was just looking at a recipe that called for some.
ReplyDeleteYou are so talented Rain, in every way! Cooking, canning, art!!! My mom use to can lots, but not anymore. Loving your art! So pretty and bright!!! Keep it up! Big Hugs!
ReplyDeleteJust catching up! It is so much fun to follow your artistic journey! You are an inspiration. I LOVE eggplant and this sounds right up my alley. Ricotta is so easy to make that it should be a crime to go out and buy it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sandi, that made me laugh :)
ReplyDeleteLol, thanks Debra...we'll be testing the Tarot this summer for those termaters! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Laurie :) Very sweet. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Kymber! :) So nice to see your comment! Where you been girl? :) Thank you! I love that, "50 is the new 30" LOL! I feel 30...even younger! I have a chicken carcass in the freezer...I have to make more broth too. We go through that the most around here. But I made a nice turkey broth after Thanksgiving and boy was that amazing! I would love to make more, turkey is so pricey though. That's a great idea about the croutons. We eat LOADS of those in the summer with salads and I have to start making my own. Alex makes his own BBQ chips with pita bread and a BBQ seasoning, he says they are really good. I'll have to post that recipe to share. MUCH better than store bought and less expensive! Sending love right back to you! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Pam :) Ha ha ha...back to pancakes! LOL...I wasn't a big fan of eggplant my whole life, but once in a while I really like it, as long as I get it right! That recipe made me like it again! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Stefanie :) Alex loves spicy...but we both have sensitive stomachs so we have to steer clear of the spices, though I can imagine how good that would be!
ReplyDeleteHi Martha :) What kind of pencils did you get? I hope you got the blenders too, or will get them, it makes a great difference in the way things look and it's a great motivator too! Lots of elbow grease required though lol...I've gone through one of my blenders already in just 3 weeks...I have to order more! Spring seems to be coming early or is that just wishful thinking???
ReplyDeleteHi Jana :) Oh I'm envious of your grow lights...that is something I really want in the future...to start plants and grow them in the dead of winter. I'm CRAVING salads and tomatoes...but the stuff from the store is usually tasteless until summer. I'm going to be planting some lettuce next week indoors (my second attempt) and hope I have a Ceasar salad in my near future lol! The pills in the applesauce trick works really well for the dogs!
ReplyDeleteHi 1st Man :) Oh thank you! :) I'm trying my best to be a good homesteading, homemaking gal! :) Ha ha ha...didn't you hear? 50 is the new 30 according to Kymber so we're doing fine lol! ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you Christine :) I'm happy to read your comments always! :) You're always so supportive and I appreciate it. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Marsha :) I too am surprised that my canning stores are depleted so quickly this year. I think that it's because I refuse to buy veggies out of season anymore. We mostly eat root veggies during the winter...and I've been making more and more tomato dishes. I'll have to double up everything next fall.
ReplyDeleteHi RO :) Thank you! :) Ricotta is so easy to make, anyone can do it, you just need milk and lemon juice...it's too expensive at the grocery store. I'm finding out more and more how all of the effort I put into homemade food is not just saving money, but tastes better and is so much healthier...no chemicals!
ReplyDeleteHi Wisps of Words :) I think you'd like this recipe if you can make it gluten-free, it's very good and so simple to make. I love recipes like that! Thanks for asking about Pavlov...he is improving, slowly but surely! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn :) VERY easy...check out that link! You'll never buy store bought again! :) PS: When I started making my own ricotta, I bought the cheesecloth at the dollar store too, it's not the greatest but it works...making the cost even better! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Magic Love Crow :) Thank you! You're so sweet! Do you do any food preservation? It gets addictive! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Susan :) You are so right, it's a CRIME to buy ricotta! I feel the same about yogurt, sour cream, salsa...mostly everything you can buy, you can easily make at home and it's so much better! It's just the time that most people don't have. The eggplant is really good, let me know if you try it! And thank you for the compliment! :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful painting !!!!
ReplyDeleteMy pantry and freezer are getting kinda low too. I have been out of tomatoe sauce for a while. I still have lots of pickled green tomatoes tho. I am starting to itch ... i need to dig in the soil ... hopefully soon !!!
The stuffed eggplant (one of favorite veggies BTW) looks wonderful. I make Mario Batali's eggplant parmesan and it is wonderful and not difficult at all plus his sauce which is a great all around pasta sauce. It would be nice to have more delicious egg plant dishes. How interesting about the differences in the painting techniques. Yes, you need good watercolor paper. Lovely colors and blending!
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