Fundraising...

Yesterday and today were supposed to be a fundraiser for my sister again (for her adoption). We did a yard sale and I offered portraits with an 8x10 for $10. We advertised for a whole week and put up our signs. Nobody showed up. :( A few people came and bought a couple things from the yard sale, but not ONE person wanted a portrait. I don't get it. You can't beat that price.

Anyway, I was pretty happy with the portable studio I made. It's white cloth on each side and on top with a very light gray fabric on the back as the background. It worked pretty well as you can see here. I'm still keeping my eyes open for a white parachute though because I don't know how long my sewing will hold up. lol. I'm checking all the army surplus places and going to call skydiving places to see what they do with their old parachutes. I have found some online, but I still wanted to check around before I commit to something online.

We plan on doing this again in August. Probably need to advertise more next time.

In Search Of...

I'm in search of nettles... yes, stinging nettles...

I came upon a fabulous sounding recipe with nettles in it. Apparently they no longer sting once they are cooked and taste somewhat like spinach. I figure it doesn't get much better than being able to eat a weed. I mean weeds are the only things that are indestructible and if we are going to wipe out all our bees then we're going to need to learn to eat something that's pretty hearty.

Dandelions are also edible, but very bitter. The leaves can be added to salad, but I would suggest a very small amount. The roots are good for you too! Bees like dandelions. I'm doing my part by letting dandelions grow in my yard. Ok, ok, maybe it's just too much maintenance to get rid of them. It's nice to know I might be helping those bees though.

I've kind of been on a save the planet kick lately. Well, save the human race really. We are slowly killing ourselves and our own children. It's amazing that when I buy raw milk there is a warning on it that says it hasn't been pasteurized and could carry bacteria, but the milk in the grocery store doesn't have any warnings about harmful hormones and antibiotics given to the cows. Not to mention those cows are probably fed genetically mutated, processed corn along with other animal meat (which causes mad cow disease by the way). Not really the cows natural diet now is it?

I'm not sure I even trust the word "organic" in the grocery store anymore.

notes on nettles:
1. Stems and leaves steeped raw in a bucket of water for 24 hours released the formic acid into the water. The stems were then removed and the water used as an organic pesticide and applied to plants with mites or aphids. resource
2. When new leaves were collected in spring, and boiled in several changes of water, the resulting greens were said to make a good sprinach substitute. resource

notes on dandelions:
1. the greens are high in Vitamins A, C, and iron. resource
2. Some say that the roots of dandelions can be used to detoxify the liver and gallbladder. resource
3. There are no poisonous look-alikes. resource

animal, vegetable, miracle

i'm only halfway through this book and already i can tell how clueless i was about big chain grocery store foods and big agribusinesses. i am now making a commitment to buy as much local food as i can. if that means i have to visit the farmers market everyday then i will. i was already working on a garden, but it will now contain more vegetables and less flowers. which is perfectly alright with me.

tonight i cooked this chicken with asparagus and spinach bought from a store that sells local produce, meat, dairy and other things. unfortunately our long, hard winter means not much produce is in stock. i'm happy with asparagus and spinach though. :) my sister grows her own tomatoes and cucumbers and if you have never eaten a fresh vegetable that you have picked off the vine then you are missing out! fresh veggies actually have a taste! imagine that! and not only do they have a taste, but the taste is like nothing you will ever forget. there is nothing like a warm, fresh tomato.

if you don't know about this book here is a link. if you aren't educated on agribusiness, fossil fuels, genetically mutated food, etc then you should definitely get yourself educated. this could very possibly be killing our bees and even more scary killing us!

www.animalvegetablemiracle.com

Amazing Ad!

You have to watch this ad. It's just amazing and inspirational!!

Schweppes: Burst

Chicken and Olives

I have never been very good at making up my own recipes. I sometimes wonder if this is due to the fact that I'm just not a natural at it or because I never really cooked before and therefore don't have enough experience with different combinations. Tonight, however, I decided to go for it. Well, technically I didn't think the whole thing up on my own, but what recipe is original anymore, really? Of course I didn't measure anything so I'll do my best to remember exactly what I put in, how much and for how long.

1 tbsp of olive oil
5 or 6 chicken thighs (you could probably use breasts, but I always eat thighs so that's what I used)
1 can of black olives chopped
1 can of green olives stuffed with garlic chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 lemon
some parsley for topping
salt and pepper

Heat olive oil and garlic on medium heat until oil is hot. Add chicken breasts and cook for about 5 minutes. Add black and green olives and the juice of the lemon. Cover and cook until chicken is done. Parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

I ate it with the juice over rice. It was yummy!! The first time I've tried a recipe that I made up (or modified at least) that tasted good.

I think cooked olives are my new favorite ingredient. You wouldn't believe how much flavor the green olives add.

Hello there...

I can't believe how long it's been since I've written here. What do you say when you have nothing to say?

I was thinking today about all the dumb things I've done in my life. Initially I want to call them mistakes, but really I can't bring myself to think of them that way because honestly, I don't think I would be who/where I am if I hadn't been so dumb.

wrap your brain around that one!

Sketches CD release party

I think I mentioned before that my good friend Ron Greene had me shoot some photos of him for his CD. I'm excited to say that 4 of my pictures made the CD and one is even on the cover! He contacted me again to ask if I would shoot his CD release party on Friday March 21st at The Brix in Coeur D'Alene. The club is really cozy, kind of like a lounge. The light wasn't the greatest, but I worked with what I had. This is his first CD, Sketches, it's an awesome CD!