Monday, September 28, 2009

Domestic Art

There was a time in my life when I lived every artists dream. I got paid to paint. People invited me into their homes and asked me to create a one of a kind environment for their children. Now, I know I wasn't breaking new ground in the art community. I was not teaching people to look at things in a whole new way , ah la VanGough, or making the ordinary extraordinary like Georgia, but I was putting smiles on peoples faces, and making a pretty good living while I was at it.

These days my life doesn't seem quite as chic. Instead of brushes and paints I work in jars and veggies. Today my medium of choice was a box of green tomatoes dropped off by a friend. My creative challenge was to use up all two boxes. I warmed up with a simple batch of green tomato pickles. They made a lovely background for the relish that followed. A true challenge to my imagination as I couldn't find a recipe I liked. A splash of peppers and a few stokes of onions and things were really beginning to sing. It wasn't until an experiment with a green tomato pie (it was suppose to taste like apple pie) went horribly wrong that I was reminded not every piece can be the Mona Lisa.

I may have given up good money and a exotic sounding career, for the "simple life". But hearing my kids say through mouths stuffed with fresh relish on crackers "Wow Mom, you made this!!! It's awesome!" makes me think my new contribution to this world might just be remembered after all.

Recipe for Southern Green Tomato Pickles

2 qts. green tomatoes quartered

2 cups onions chopped

1/4 cup hot peppers chopped

1/2 cup sweet peppers chopped

2 cups sugar

3 tbls. salt

1 tsp. celery seed

2 cup Cider vinegar

Put tomatoes, onions and peppers in large pot. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over veggies. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and put into sterile hot jars and seal.

Friday, September 25, 2009

The Journey Begins

As a teenager I always pictured the 35 year old me living somewhere in New York City. Wearing wonderful clothes that I couldn't afford, painting pictures that I knew someone would someday see the value in. After all, no artist expects to be appreciated in their own lifetime.

We'll I am quickly approaching my 35th birthday and my life could not be further from this one time goal. So the question is not, how did this California born and raised independent free spirit end up a housewife in the mountains of Eastern Oregon? But how have I fallen in love with this life?

I decided after 15 years of marriage and 7 years in exile (living 2 1/2 hours from the nearest mall or Target) to explore the life I live and why I love it.

Dilly Beans

Stuff Each Clean Jar with:
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 sliced clove of garlic
1 head of dill
1/4 jalapeno peeper
and as many cleaned fresh green beans as will fit

Brine:
2 cups water
2 cups vinegar
1/4 cup pickling salt

Boil brine and pour into stuffed jars leaving 1/8" head room. Process in hot water bath for 5 min. Beans will be ready to eat in 2-3 weeks.