Snowy Winter Barn Watercolor – 11×14 140lb cold press
Snowy Winter Barn.
Another in my little series of winter watercolors
is an old red barn
sitting stately and proud
amidst winter’s pure white palate.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Snowy Winter Barn
Christmas
Red Truck Christmas
Snowy Red Ford Truck with Christmas Wreath on Front Watercolor 11×14
Red Truck Christmas.
I can think of a few peeps who would love a new red truck for Christmas (one is the guy I’ve been living with for the past 35 years!).
But he already has one, and it was the model for my latest Christmas watercolor painting.
When I painted my previous classic red truck carrying a Christmas tree, my red truck man informed me since it was a Chevy, I needed to paint a Ford too.
So here it is.
It was fun to paint it this past Sunday afternoon en plein air. Sunny and 77 degrees F outside in late October painting Christmas snow! Gotta love it!
This painting makes great prints and cute cards for Ford truck lovers.
They will be available in our McKinneyX2Designs Etsy Shop, at Berry Vine Gifts, and at the Mars Fall Craft Show on November 18th.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A Sprinkle of Christmas
Winter Wonderland Christmas Tree Watercolor 10×13
A Winter Wonderland Christmas Tree.
Because every week needs
a little sprinkle of Christmas.
I am having so much fun creating some holiday art.
You see, our little McKinneyX2Designs business is participating in the
Mars Holiday Craft Show that is only one month away!
It is one of the biggest holiday craft shows in the area
with hundreds of crafters and artisans selling their
handmade items in both the Mars Middle School and Mars High School
with a shuttle bus that transports shoppers between both venues.
We will be at the Mars High School on Saturday, November 18th
from 10-4 with Colleen’s beautiful rustic pallet signs and decor
and some of my watercolor art.
If you can’t make it to this fun event, you can always visit our ETSY shop
or stop by Berry Vine Gifts in Bradfordwoods, PA.
Wherever you find us,
we will be sprinkling a little bit of Christmas!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Classic Red Truck with Christmas Tree
Classic Red Truck with Christmas Tree Watercolor – 11×14 – 140lb Fabriano Artistico
Classic Red Truck with Christmas Tree.
Is anybody else starting to think about Christmas?
When my boys were young, I loved getting ready for the Christmas holiday. I would often start playing Christmas music in October… much to Hubby’s dismay.
We prepared letters to Santa, and I shopped and put carts full of toys on “lay-away” months ahead of winter.
My best friend and I went to craft shows and stores and bought santas and snowmen and other holiday decorations, as well as things to make decorations – often while pushing strollers and carrying diaper bags.
I would prepare for “Sammy” the elf to make his arrival at our house and plan out his adventures each night when the boys went to bed to surprise them in the morning.
I created homemade Christmas cards for the boys to color (and later they drew them) to send to friends and family.
I stocked up on sugar and flour and baking supplies when they were on sale and collected festive tins to make hundreds of cookies and dozens of sweet breads and nut rolls to share with friends and neighbors.
As the boys got older, the excitement of Christmas dimmed a bit. We still enjoyed it, but the excitement leading up to it was not the same as when they were young and the magic existed.
But now….. I’m a grandma! And that just makes me absolutely giddy for Christmas again!
And since my daughter-in-law, Colleen, and I have created our McKinneyX2Designs Etsy shop and have started also selling our art at a local gift shop, Berry Vine Gifts, it is so fun to get excited about preparing for Christmas again. And it seems there are others like me out there, because holiday cards and paintings have already sold!
So I’m having fun creating Christmas and holiday art… like this classic red truck with a Christmas tree. Doesn’t it just make you so nostalgic about Christmas?
So even though we are still experiencing 80 degree Autumn days, I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. It’s so fun to dream!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Buckeye Balls
Buckeye Balls.
Calling all chocolate and peanut butter lovers! Another must-have “staple” at any Pittsburgh wedding cookie table is the Buckeye Ball!
These delectable little creamy peanut butter delights coated in dark chocolate are called Buckeye Balls because they look like Buckeye nuts and originated in Ohio – the Buckeye state.
Simple, but absolutely delish, this is cookie #9 on my wedding cookie table list. The freezer is filling up fast, and the wedding date is closing in on us! Cookie baking continues.
Here’s the recipe. Hope you will give them a try.
Buckeye Balls
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 lb. dark chocolate, melted
Directions:
Mix peanut butter and butter in a bowl with wooden spoon until creamy. Blend in vanilla. Add powdered sugar, and stir until incorporated and a stiff mixture forms.
Roll teaspoon-sized pieces into balls, and place on wax paper lined cookie sheet or cutting board. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Melt chocolate in narrow deep container in microwave for 1 minute and then at 30 second intervals until smooth. Using a wooden skewer, dip balls into chocolate all but for a bit at top. Place on waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Allow to cool completely and chocolate to harden. Smooth over hole created by skewer with a small spatula or your clean finger.
Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Wedding Cookie List Baking so far:
- Jodi’s Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Hershey Kiss Brownie Bites
- Pecan Tassies
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Pecan Sandies
- Carrot Cake Thumbprints
- Raspberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Apricot Kolaches
- Buckeye Balls
The Day After the Day After
The Day After the Day After
I had planned on being productive
(well maybe that’s a lie)
the day after the day after Christmas,
but the cough persisted and my nose wouldn’t dry.
So after a cold, but sunny stroll with Charlie
(a long time in coming)
and a steamy, dreamy longer-than-normal shower,
I still didn’t feel very becoming.
A makeshift bowl of chicken soup I made
from leftover noodles and carrot sticks chopped,
a tall ginger ale with a straw,
then I plopped.
A few more episodes
of Gilmore Girls sounded just right
for the day after the day after…
a peaceful delight.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Love & Be Loved: A Very McHendy Christmas
After family Christmas parties last weekend and on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Monday was our McHendy Christmas. A day we gather together with our “best friend family” – the McKinneys and the Hendersons – to celebrate. We have been a McHendy friendfamily for over 25 years.
This year welcomed a few new members. Here are the new moms with “B” and “C.”
New moms mean…
new grandmas…
and grandpas…
who nurtured while the rest of the gang…
played crazy games like the hilarous SpeakOut – where you put a contraption in your mouth and try to enunciate what is on your card while your team mates try to guess what you are saying,
and the social word game CodesNames, which I totally recommend for a great, easy to learn and fun to play group game.
It was so fun to get this gang together in one place from all over the country this holiday season. From tiny babies to adults and growing families, wings have stretched and flown, but when we’re all together, it feels just like home.
We decided on a no-gift theme this year, and instead, contributed in a small way to a charity of choice, Ronald McDonald House Charities, by purchasing matching #LoveandBeLoved T-shirts. You can learn more about LoveandBeLoved here, a great organization I learned about through the receptionist at my office who heads the local chapter with her husband. Their mission is a simple yet profound one: It is every human being’s God given responsibility to show love, and every human being has the right to be loved regardless of their race, gender, age, sexuality, or beliefs.
Sending Love with Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Bacon & Caramelized Onion Mac ‘n Cheese
Bacon & Caramelized Onion Mac ‘n Cheese….
You want to get this in your belly! No joke!
Who can resist a yummy, cheesy, creamy, comforting homemade macaroni and cheese?
But add bacon….. and some sweet, buttery caramelized onions…. and oh dear lord!
Mix up you favorite cheeses. I used extra sharp cheddar, Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh Mozarella. Tangy…. Salty and Nutty…. and Dreamy Creamy…. all in one dish!
I made this dish (adapted from Ree Drummond’s Fancy Macaroni) kind of on a whim at the last minute to serve with our Prime Rib Christmas Eve family dinner. I was going to roast some potatoes, but then decided to kick it up a notch! And boy am I glad I did. What a delicious hit this was!
Make this for your next special occasion. It’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
You can thank me later when everyone is ooooing and ahhhing and singing your praises.
Bacon & Caramelized Onion Mac 'n Cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. Rotini or Macaroni or your favorite pasta shape
- 8 Tbsp Butter (1 stick)
- 2 Large Sweet Onions, cut in half & sliced thin
- 10-12 slices Bacon
- 1 Tbsp Bacon Grease (reserved)
- 1/4 cup Flour
- 2 cups Milk
- 1/2 cup Half and Half
- 2 Egg Yolks, beaten
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 cup Grated Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
- 6 oz Fresh Mozarella Cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook macaroni for 2 mins. less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Fry bacon until slightly crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Reserve 1 Tbsp. grease.
Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a skillet. Saute onions for 10-12 mins. or until golden brown. Set aside.
Melt remaining 4 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. bacon grease in a large pot. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 1 min. Pour in milk and half & half, then cook for 3-5 mins.or until thick. Reduce heat to low. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Beat egg yolks and drizzle 1/4 cup hot mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly. Stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into sauce and cook for another min.
Add all cheeses and stir until melted. Add onions and bacon and stir. Taste for seasonings. Add more salt if needed. Add cooked macaroni, and stir to coat.
Pour into a baking dish and bake for 20 mins.
This decadent dish tastes great with with red meat and/or a green salad!
Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Merry Christmas
Charlie’s Night Before Christmas
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, except a brown dog.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
and Charlie couldn’t reach them – he didn’t even dare.
Mom and Dad were nestled all snug in their bed,
while visions of head cold relief danced in their heads.
But Charlie was anxious, he just couldn’t sleep.
He wondered if Santa would bring him a treat.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
Charlie ran to his door to see what was the matter.
He flew out onto the porch and skidded across
Woofing and sniffing even every piece of moss.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
made it a bit easier for Charlie to see all below.
When what to his wondering eyes should appear,
but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.
“It was SANTA – Oh Santa! You’re coming to my house.
I knew you would remember – I’ve been a good boy!”
Charlie ran back inside and jumped into bed,
he climbed under the blankets to cover his head.
He quietly waited and listened intently,
but he waited so long, he fell back asleep.
The next thing he knew, Dad was getting out of bed.
Mom gave him a pat, and said “Okay – Go Ahead!”
His stocking was full! Santa really was here!
A new donut, a new donkey, and a tasty new bone.
Another Christmas miracle
for an adopted brown dog.
Merry Christmas Eve!
Woofs & Wags,
Charlie
Charlie is an adopted dog with brown eyes and a white-tipped tail who brings joy and laughter to his family and friends. Charlie is a gifted writer, raving food critic, cat, chipmunk, and donut lover, and exceptionally photogenic model. Some of his best friends are Mike the UPS Man, Cliff the Mailman, and ANYONE who delivers pizza to the house. If you would like to read more guest posts by Charlie, simply type “Charlie” into the Search box at the top right hand corner of this link: thecreativelifeinbetween.com. If you would enjoy a companion like Charlie, please consider pet adoption.
the creative life in between 