Introducing Daddy Giraffe and his darling Olivia Esme' Claire, a watchful Mama Owl and her baby, and "In the Garden" an original watercolor assemblage framed in a sahdow box frame (from Martha Stewart. gosh I love it's frame! ) but you'll have to go here http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13771633 to see it! :)

All available in my shop now...and soon, another Matryoshka family! (nearly finished but not quite...)

A hint of things to come...

I've got a couple of Showcase spots coming up on Etsy and so I thought I'd do a major ("major"?) shop update... well, I am working hard, and it'll be hard to part with some of these things, they're quite dear to me in many ways :) but I'll let cha have a peek!...

Do you recognize whose 'lap' this little girl is sitting on? Hmmmmm...Yup, they'll both be available at the SHOP UPDATE: Tuesday July 29th!

Okay, back to work!

See you tomorrow!

Potato Gallette

This is usually John's domain...but we were so low on groceries all I had on hand were eggs and potatoes...Ok and a few other things but those 2 things actually made a meal! And the kids liked it!!!

Is this reeeally a "potato gallette"? I guess not, because in looking up the recipe I found there is no mention of eggs. *ahem*. And there is usually, I see, rosemary. I don't love rosemary. In the garden, yes, in my food, not so much. Sage neither. Possibly because people usually have too heavy a hand with it but I digress.

If you'd like to try this, I HIGHLY reccomend using or buying yourself a 'mandolin' http://www.nextag.com/mandolin-slicer/search-html. Not the musical instrument, this is an amazingly sharp slicing gadget and makes all the difference...

Anyhow, heat about 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy cast iron pan

(no bigger than one of your dinner plates)

slice up about 4 medium sized peeled potatoes

arrange slices in a tight, overlapping spiral to the edge of the pan

salt the spiral

add more potato slices in a new spiral

salt the new spiral

repeat untill you run out of potato slices.

It should be sizzling the whole time...

cover with a lid for about 5 minutes to trap the moisture and steam the potatoes...but check 'em to keep them from burning...

Now for the tricky part: Gingerly lift the edges of the bottom layer away from the pan's bottom to 'free up' any stuck potatoes...experiment with shaking the pan and using a spatula to see if the entire 'potato cake' can move...

Now lay one of your dinner plates ontop, hold the plate there, lifting the pan off the stove and flip it over onto the plate!

Now slide the 'upsidedown' potato cake back into the pan and continue to cook! Pretty, non?

This is when I added a salted and peppered mixture of 3 eggs, whole milk and thinly sliced chives, and let it cook till it looked done...

You can do it!

There's my Russell...we call him "The Blur"

Today, new beginings! Aurora and Constantine are off to Grandpa Dean's for an overnight, Baby Olivia is still sleeping ... only Russell is underfoot...under table, really...what is it about dirt and crumbs and dog hair that my kids find so attractive? Sweeping is next, but must computer first! :) And next on my list, the Studio! (Ok, the dining room, whatever) Organize, organize, organize and get ready for some major crafting for my shop's update Tuesday! Wheeeee, should be a fun weekend!