Month: July 2017

An Otterly Awesome Otter

/ Jodi / 40 Comments

An Otterly Awesome Otter.

Near a barn was a body of water.
In it lived an otterly awesome otter.

This particular otter
had the distinguished name of Potter.

Potter loved when the weather got hotter,
for he loved to swim and was quite the yachter.

One day while sunning, with a glimpse he did spot her,
he believed her to be his Dad’s friend’s daughter.

He shuffled about trying hard not to totter,
and he hoped his wave and wink did caught her.

It worked!  She was smiling, his mind was a flotter.
An otterly beautiful otter for Potter.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This is one of a series of fun animal watercolor paintings and rhymes I am pursuing.
See the others:
A Rare Hare with Flare
A Duck Named Chuck
A Fawn at Dawn
Rooty the Rooster
A Precocious Pink Pig  
Hal the Colorful Cow
A Mouse named Klaus
Pam the Lamb

#WorldWatercolorMonth

Roasted Vegetables

/ Jodi / 47 Comments

Roasted Vegetables.

You know those times when you get to the end of what you bought for the week and before you get to the grocery store and only have a handful of this and a chunk of that and a sliver of this in the fridge?

One day last week, I wanted to make a vegetable, but only had a bit of this and that.  I had a quarter of a small head of purple cabbage, a bulb of fennel, a half a bag of carrots, a small bag of golden fingerling potatoes.

So I tossed these together with a sliced onion and a few bulbs of garlic, drizzled it with some wonderful olive oil our son and daughter-in-law brought us back from their honeymoon in Greece.  I sprinkled it with salt and pepper and some chopped fresh rosemary.  I roasted it in a 400 degree F oven for about a half hour, and it turned out amazing!

You could throw in any vegetables you have left in your vegetable crisper at the end of the week.  Roasting vegetables makes them taste so amazingly delicious!  They become caramelized and tender and mellow.

I tried fennel raw chopped up on a salad, and have to say it was a bit too strong for my taste.  Maybe I added too much.  But when I roast it, I seriously cannot get enough of it!  It transforms and mellows the flavor into something absolutely divine!

What combination of vegetables do you like best to roast?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Funky Flower in Amethyst Genuine

/ Jodi / 35 Comments
Funky Flower in Amethyst Genuine Watercolor 8x10 140lb Arches Cold Press

Funky Flower in Amethyst Genuine Watercolor 8×10 140lb Arches Cold Press

A Funky Flower in Amethyst Genuine.

Just some late night splashing that resulted in this beautiful surprise in the morning.

This Daniel Smith Amethyst Genuine is a gorgeous color with a bit of sparkle in the sunlight.  The photo makes it appear more blue than it really is, but I like it nonetheless.

Trying to at least do a watercolor painting to share every other day for #WorldWatercolorMonth!

A little diversion from my animal rhyme series, but more to come – watch for an otterly awesome otter named Potter in the next few days!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Chilling White Wine

/ Jodi / 39 Comments
Frozen Grapes in Pinot Grigio

Frozen Grapes in Pinot Grigio

Chilling White Wine.

I recently learned about this great tip for keeping your white wine chilled without watering it down.

Freeze a bag of grapes, and use them as “ice cubes.”

At the end of your drink, you have a wonderful treat of wine soaked grapes to enjoy!  And your wine stays full flavored to the very end.

I am definitely more of a red wine girl, but I sometimes enjoy a light Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc or a crisp, buttery Chardonnay in the summer.

Dropping in a few frozen grapes makes it even more of a treat.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Pam the Lamb

/ Jodi / 58 Comments

Pam the Lamb
was happy as a clam.

She liked her muffins
with butter and jam.

One day after breakfast
she was playing with Sam,

when the postman arrived
with an urgent telegram.

Pam opened it quickly and found inside
a beautiful and colorful diagram.

There was also a note in handwriting she knew –
it was from her dear and loving ole Gram.

It was instructions it seemed – a recipe indeed –
for cloverleaf muffins with butter and jam.

Oh how Pam delighted for she knew who was coming,
she better get baking for Pap Pap and Gram.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This is one of a series of fun animal watercolor paintings and rhymes I am pursuing.
See the others:
A Rare Hare with Flare
A Duck Named Chuck
A Fawn at Dawn
Rooty the Rooster
A Precocious Pink Pig  
Hal the Colorful Cow
A Mouse named Klaus

#WorldWatercolorMonth

Caramel M&M Cookies

/ Jodi / 44 Comments

Caramel M&M Cookies.

Have you tried the new Caramel M&Ms yet?

O. M. Geeeee!

I would never have believed the Mars Candy Company could made an M&M better than my favorite – Peanut.

My sons love the Peanut Butter M&Ms, and I know they make Crispy and Pretzel and Dark Chocolate, and of course the good old standby – Plain – but these Caramel M&Ms….

They are just the Rock Stars of the family!  The cat’s meow… The bee’s knees.. The bomb dot com!

Once hubby talked me into buying a bag and we tried, I knew I had to make cookies out of these little gems of heavenly deliciousness!

And they did not disappoint!  I made them for a picnic this past weekend, and it’s a good thing I took them all, because I might not be able to resist these babies!

I used my standard chocolate chip cookie recipe – replacing the chocolate chunks with the Caramel M&Ms.  Simple – but oh so delightful!

Give them a try!  Let me know if you agree.

Caramel M&M Cookies

  • Servings: 4 dozen large cookies
  • Print

Ingredients:

4 sticks (1 lb.) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
5 cups all purpose flour
2 9.6oz bags Caramel M&M Candies

Directions:

With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until completely incorporated. Add vanilla and eggs, and beat until light and fluffy. Add baking soda and salt, and mix another minute. Gradually add flour and beat until well incorporated, but do not overbeat.

Fold in Caramel M&M Candies.  Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. With your hands, form a cookie dough ball about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.  Place on baking stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake. Allow to cool on baking stone for 5-10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

#MadewithM

I am not being paid by M&Ms to promote them, though I wish I was!  

A Mouse Named Klaus

/ Jodi / 63 Comments

There once was a mouse named Klaus
who lived in a teeny, tiny house.

Claudia was his spouse.
She wore a teeny, tiny blouse.

His best friend was a grouse,
which is a bit strange for a mouse.

But they didn’t allow that to louse
the best friendship ever between a grouse and a mouse.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This is one of a series of fun animal watercolor paintings and rhymes I am pursuing.
See the others:
A Rare Hare with Flare
A Duck Named Chuck
A Fawn at Dawn
Rooty the Rooster
A Precocious Pink Pig  
Hal the Colorful Cow

#WorldWatercolorMonth

Amber Waves of Grain

/ Jodi / 33 Comments
Amber Waves of Grain - America the Beautiful

Amber Waves of Grain – America the Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

America the Beautiful.

Independence Day, also referred to as the Fourth of July or July Fourth, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence 241 years ago on July 4, 1776. The Continental Congress declared that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and were no longer part of the British Empire.

Happy Birthday America!  Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

On our way home from dinner out one evening a week or so ago, I convinced Hubby to pull over when we drove by fields of grain growing as far as the eyes could see as the sun was setting.   Amber waves of grain glowing in the sunset caused me to pause and rejoice in the beauty of the country we live in.

And lest you be fooled by the gloriousness of the moment… To get the right angle, I tried squatting in the field when my leg decided to cramp up, so I ended up on the ground with muddy knees and bum, and Hubby asking if I fell as he saw me rolling on the ground.  Thank goodness nobody else saw!  Just keeping it real here….. at life in between.

 

Hal the Colorful Cow

/ Jodi / 41 Comments

Hal the colorful cow
simply did not know how to smile.

He tried things like raising his brow,
but still there remained a grimacing scowl.

He visited Frau,
who just gave him a meow.

He wandered around here and now,
and sighed and sadly whispered, “wow.”

So he went about his daily plow,
trying and trying to think of somehow.

When it came to him that he would take a vow –
he simply committed he would disallow.

So he took a bow,
and all of the sudden, he was able to smile.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

This is one of a series of fun animal watercolor paintings and rhymes I am pursuing.
See the others:
A Rare Hare with Flare
A Duck Named Chuck
A Fawn at Dawn
Rooty the Rooster
A Precocious Pink Pig  

#WorldWatercolorMonth

Stars Don’t Only Shine at Night

/ Jodi / 24 Comments
Purple Petunias

Purple Petunias

Stars don’t only shine at night.

Attract what you expect.
Reflect what you desire.
Become what you respect.
Mirror what you admire.

Author Unknown
InspirationQuotesMagazine.com

Shine on Stars…
Shine on!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi