Month: October 2016

Playing with Pastels in Orange and Blue

/ Jodi / 49 Comments
Abstract Pastel in Orange and Blue - 9x12

Abstract Pastel in Orange and Blue – 9×12

I woke up early Sunday morning – before the sun, before the birds, before the rest of the house.  Sometimes this is my favorite time of day.  It feels like an extra gift of time to do whatever I please.  So I poured a cup of coffee and sat down with some blank paper and my box of Sennelier soft pastels.

Abstract Pastel in Blue and Orange

Abstract Pastel in Blue and Orange

For about an hour and a half, I drew and I rubbed and I smudged with abandon and nothing in particular in mind, and these two 9x12s were the result.  On the second one, I decided to see what would happen if I splattered some white…..

It was fun to just create some abstract abandon in shades of oranges and blues.

Wishing you a day with a gift of time to do what makes you happy.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Roasted Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna

/ Jodi / 27 Comments


roasted-butternut-squash-and-spinach-lasagna-1

Roasted Butternut Squash….
Fresh Baby Spinach…
Spicy Pepperoni…
Cheese, Cheese, and just a little more Cheese….

O. M. G!

This might seriously be the most delicious thing I have ever made…

Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna.

(Either that or I was just totally craving butternut squash…. which I was… but still…)

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When I saw one of my blogging buddies, Jenna at The Painted Apron, share this recipe a few days ago, I could not resist making it that same evening!

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I may have added a bit more cheese (because… well…. just because…) and Jodi’d it up a teensy bit, but Jenna totally gets the credit for sharing this amazingness!!!

This is one of those recipes where you kinda moan in delight after each bite.  (Well – at least I did!)  Hubby absolutely loved it too.  A LOT!

And when I shared some with my son, Nick – he called it “ridiculous!”

I think this might just be my absolute favorite lasagna recipe ever, and I can’t wait to make it again and share for company or a potluck or party.

Okay – I think I’ve told you enough how much I loved this.  Now – please – go make it – and tell me it isn’t so!

Roasted Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients:roasted-butternut-squash-and-spinach-lasagna-1

  • 6 Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Pasta Sheets
  • 1 Butternut Squash, cubed
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped pepperoni slices
  • 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese
  • 6 oz (4 thick slices) fresh Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated  Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Parmesan Cream Sauce

  • 3/4 cup half and half
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1 cup freshly grated  Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Directions:

Place cubed butternut squash on a baking stone/sheet and sprinkle with salt, pepper, ginger, and minced garlic.   Roast at 425 degrees F for 20 mins.

Place chopped pepperoni slices on a paper towel or napkin lined plate and microwave on high for 20 seconds to render the fat.

Prepare sauce by combining butter, milk and wine (or water) in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Briskly whisk in flour until incorporated and thickened.  Stir in 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano.

Spread about 1/4 sauce on the bottom of 9×9 square baking dish.   Place two lasagna sheets side by side on top of sauce.  Layer half of the roasted butternut squash on top, followed by half of the fresh spinach, half of ricotta, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and half of the pepperoni.  Top with another 1/4 of sauce and repeat layers.

Top with remaining 2 sheets of lasagna and spread with remaining sauce.  Add sliced mozarella cheese and a few reserved pieces of pepperoni.  Finally top with 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano.

Bake in 350 degree F oven uncovered for 30 minutes, or until hot and browned and bubbly.   Let set for 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

Parmesan Garlic Roasted Spaghetti Squash

/ Jodi / 31 Comments

parmesan-garlic-spaghetti-squash-1

Parmesan Garlic Roasted Spaghetti Squash – oooo la la!

Spaghetti Squash may not the best photographic subject…. but oh what an easy and seriously delicious dish this is!

In the past, I have usually cooked my spaghetti squash in the microwave by simply poking fork holes in it and “steaming,” but this time, I decided to roast it in the oven, and OH boy did we love it!!!

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In the past, I also typically put a tomato or marinara sauce or canned diced tomatoes with seasoning on it, and it was good and filling and low calorie, and a great vegetable, but this version……

is KICKED UP!

Not sure I can go back now!

And as full flavored as it is, it is so super simple.

Give it a try, and see what you think!

Ingredients:parmesan-garlic-spaghetti-squash-1

  • 1 large spaghetti squash
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 6 Tbsp butter
  • 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth to keep it completely vegetarian)
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiano Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place flesh down in a baking dish, and roast for approximately 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly to handle.  While it is cooling, melt butter in saucepan, add garlic and cook for a minute or two.  Add broth.  Stir in cheese.

Use a fork to scoop out spaghetti squash.  Add to saucepan.  Stir to coat.  Sprinkle with parsley and a little more cheese if you please.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Autumn in the Pumpkin Patch

/ Jodi / 44 Comments
Autumn in the Pumpkin Patch 9x12 Watercolor

Autumn in the Pumpkin Patch 9×12 Watercolor

Autumn is so leisurely lingering
and thoughts of pumpkins and trees in shades of oranges and red and yellow
are ever present.

I truly can’t remember when I have enjoyed the Fall season more.
The weather has been so beautiful.
Work has been busy.
Life has been full of exciting changes and anticipation.

One late evening this past week,
I felt the need… the urge…  the desire… to paint.
I opened my palette and wasn’t sure what to do.
So I searched my Pinterest inspiration and found and amazing artist, Herry Arifin,
whose style totally intrigued me!

The looseness, the light, the brightness, the bold strokes and color
totally captivated me.

I used one of his paintings as an exercise to practice and created this.
It doesn’t even come remotely close to the talent of Herry, but it was sure fun to try.

And I made myself do it from memory and imagination and with freedom and abandon as opposed to looking at and copying.

It’s been fun watching friends post photos of their little “pumpkins” in pumpkin patches and dreaming of our little pumpkin.  In fact, it is getting hard to think of much else!

This grandma-in-waiting is ready to take on the official role and title.  Just a few more weeks to go!

Happy Autumn!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

Starry Night Pastel

/ Jodi / 59 Comments

dark-night-pastel

I stayed up way too late one night last week
(in fact it became morning)
deciding to play with a box of pastels (Sennelier halves) I bought on a whim
a while back.

It was fun drawing with the soft chalk
and then rubbing and blending
from black to dark blue to lighter blue to white
to create the night sky.

I then took a fine rigger brush
and some watercolor “mud” leftover on my palette
to draw the stark silhouette of a tree in the cold, starry night,
created with Dr. Phil’s Bleed Proof White (which I managed to smudge).

It’s no Van Gough,
but it is a starry night.  🙂

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Carolyn Comes to Mars: Blogger Friends Meet Up

/ Jodi / 31 Comments
brad-and-carolyn-spaceship-mars

Brad and Carolyn, Mars PA Town Square at the Spaceship

One of the joys of blogging is the friendships developed with other bloggers.

Carolyn (aka JoyRoses who writes at Nuggets of Gold) is a friend I “met” about two years ago via the blogging world on WordPress when we both enrolled in Writing101 – a month-long challenge that offered writing prompts and a community of blogging students to encourage each other.

Well… yesterday Carolyn came to Mars to meet in person.  What a joy it was to give her a real hug, take her (and chauffeur/hubby, Brad) to get their photo taken in Mars at the spaceship, and get them souvenir Mars T-shirts to wear on the unseasonably warm and sunny October Sunday.

Charlie was equally excited to meet Carolyn (and Brad)!  He could hardly contain himself and kept jumping up on their laps wanting to give them kisses.

charlie-and-carolyn-and-brad

Charlie welcoming Carolyn and Brad to Mars

Carolyn and Brad had never visited Pittsburgh either, so a brief tour was in order including a trip up the Monongahela Incline to get a bird’s eye view of our beautiful city.

monongahela-incline

Monongahela Incline, Pittsburgh, PA

While waiting in line, we met two friendly gents who came all the way from Germany to see a Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots football game.  For real!  What fun we had chatting with them.  And of course, we had to get a picture, so our kind hubbies took photos of us with Tom and Nils the day before Tom’s 32nd birthday as they celebrated a lifelong friendship, and we all celebrated life and new friendships.

tom-jodi-nils-carolyn

Tom, Jodi, Nils, Carolyn – Grandview Avenue Mt Washington overlooking Pittsburgh

Of course I made cookies for our guests, but I was a bit stumped to learn last minute that between the two of them – I had to consider gluten free and vegetarian.  Yikes!   Thank goodness I had one amazing gluten-free cookie recipe in my repertoire, and thankfully my Kicked Up Chewy Peanut Butter Cinnamon Chip Cookies were a hit.

While in town, Carolyn’s hubby mentioned a restaurant a friend recommended – The Church Brew Works.  It is a fun place where the owners actually converted an old Catholic Church into a restaurant/micro-brewery, so we decided to take them there.    The most breathtaking element of the amazing atmosphere and architecture of this restaurant/brewpub is the position of the brew house on the altar.  Because the altar was built as a centerpiece of the church, the steel and copper tanks gleaming in the celestial blue backdrop are nothing less than captivating.  We had an amazing meal that delighted  everyone’s dietary needs.

brad-and-carolyn-church-brew-works

Brad and Carolyn at the Altar at The Church Brew Works

It was a lovely day, and a lovely meet-up of blogging friends.  And of course I sent them home with some extra cookies for the ride.

Thanks for the visit Carolyn and Brad.  We will remember it fondly and cherish the moments!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Stuffed Pepper Soup

/ Jodi / 59 Comments

stuffed-pepper-soup-2

If you are a soup lover like me – especially this time of year when the temperatures turn cooler and the days grow shorter – you are going to love this hearty, rich, and flavorful meal in a bowl.

stuffed-pepper-soup

If you love the taste of stuffed peppers, but not the fuss, you are going to be in heaven.

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Stuffed Pepper Soup is one of my all-time faves.  You can make it on the stove top or throw it in the crock pot to simmer all day.  Your house is going to smell like Grandma’s kitchen, and your belly is going jump for joy!

Here is my easy, yummy recipe.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Ingredients:stuffed-pepper-soup

  • 2 1/2 lbs. ground beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 quarts water
  • 2 beef bouillon cubes
  • 1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups cooked white rice
  • 2 cups diced green pepper
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

In a large dutch oven, brown ground beef with onion and garlic.  Drain.  Stir in remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for approximately one hour until peppers are tender and flavors have had the chance to blend.  Serve piping hot, and enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi