Tuesday, January 31

Crawfish Fettucini


I'm pondering the infinite question once again, "What will I fix for supper?" Well, I've got to run into the store, so I was surfing the net for a few good ideas. This one seems to fill the bill for sure.




Crawfish Andouille Fettuccini
Prep Time: 45 MinutesYields: 6 Servings
Comment:
Probably the two ingredients most associated with Louisiana cooking, crawfish and andouille, come together in this wonderful pasta dish. The light, smoky flavor of andouille adds the perfect touch to the fettuccini


Ingredients:
2 pounds crawfish tails, cooked
½ cup diced andouille sausage
1 pound fettuccini noodles, cooked
¼ pound butter
2 tbsps chopped garlic
½ cup diced onions
¼ cup diced celery
¼ cup diced red bell peppers
¼ cup diced green bell peppers
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup diced tomatoes
¾ cup flour
1 quart crawfish stock or 1 quart water seasoned with chicken bouillon
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup tomato sauce
1½ cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp chopped basil
1 tsp chopped tarragon
2 tbsps chopped parsley
¼ cup sliced green onions
salt and black pepper to taste
Method:In a heavy-bottomed 3½-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions, celery, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and andouille. Sauté for 5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Sprinkle in flour and blend well. Whisk in crawfish stock, white wine, lemon juice and tomato sauce. Whisk well until all is blended. Bring to a simmer and hold for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add crawfish tails and cream. Return to simmer and cook 10 minutes. Add basil, tarragon, parsley and green onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and toss with pasta.



I'll just add my very own Angel touches to this one and it should make for a fantastic dinner with a green salad, and some whole wheat french bread.

Here's how I do a "speed up" on this long prep recipe! I learned early on in marriage-sometimes when you are under a time crunch you've got to look for a shortcut or two.

I'll omit the wine, mushrooms and tomatoes. Instead of the fresh veggies I may just opt for a package or two of seasoning blend found in the freezer aisle. I use PictSweet brand. It works out fine especially if you hate chopping as much as I do. I'll opt to not use the tomatoes or the tomatoe sauce and just throw in a small can of rotel, drained. Use the chicken bouillon in water instead of the crawfish stock( the sprinkle bouillon is great or remember 1 cube per cup) I always keep a jar of minced garlic in the fridge, so that cuts down on prep as well. I'll also add some grated Parmesan and Asiago cheese I keep on hand to the final sauce. A small block of velveta would push this over the top, but might not help if you are watching your diet. I'll use whole wheat fettucini instead of regular for a healthier option. Also if you not so crazy about crawfish you could throw in cubed chicken breasts and it would still be great.

While I am making the sauce I'll start the water to boiling, get the salad open and into the bowl so it can chill. As the sauce finishes up the girls will help me get the table set and were off to an easier night without so much work.


Hope that helps. Leave me a comment if you tried the recipe!

Also if you unload the dishes before you start cooking , just rinse and load directly into the dishwasher instead of throwing things into the sink while you are cooking. It takes sometime to form a habit of doing that but it really cuts down on clean up afterwards.

I'd really love to know who's lurking so drop me a comment and let me know you've been here. Just click on the pencil at the top of the post!

New Orleans art prints

I've been busy working on lots of little details with my art. I"ve taken a semi-sabbatical to refuel after my sickness a few weeks ago. Glad to report back that I am now able to get back into the studio comfortably without much pain as a side effect. The creative process comes in such and ebb and flow that at times it seems to make me unbearable. I wish I possessed more of an ability to focus and stay on task. I guess that is part of what makes me who I am though. I should be releasing my fine art prints on canvas within a few days. The quality of these giclees are phenomenal. I'll pop in a photo so you can see what they look like. If you haven't gotten to peruse my site yet, you can view my work here: New Orleans Paintings

Also my New Orleans website will reflect the added benefit of the rise in my art's value and collectibility. If you have collected my works in the last year or two the value of your pieces has almost quardrupled. Soon you'll be seeing a shift in the pricing of my originals. This will protect your investment and make it more valuable as each year passes. I plan to release between 6-10 new New Orleans originals that will be available to the general public via my site, and offer prints on canvas and giclees from these special edition collector's paintings. Then additional works will be available to my collector base via my special online sales to those who opt to sign up for my newsletter list. If you'd like to be notified of those special sales, just sign up in the box below.










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Wednesday, January 18

Unordinary Creative Quotes


The photo above is from my abstract series. If you'd like to see more of my abstract work click here

I'm still feeling horrible. I think it must be the Cipro the Dr. put me on. I can't hardly stay up on my feet for more than 30 mins without feeling dizzy, weak and like I am going to throw up. So I've got to go back today for another visit. Which is great, I hate paying another co-pay, then undoubtly another round of antibiotics of some sort. I can't really think of much to say, so I thought I'd list a few of my favorite unordinary quotes about creativity.

Here is one of my favorites, Vincent is one of my favorite artist:


“I try more and more to be myself, caring relatively little whether people approve or disapprove.” Vincent Van Gogh

BE YOURSELF!

"When I am, as it were, completely myself, entirely alone, and of good cheer - say, travelling in a carriage, or walking after a good meal, or during the night when I cannot sleep; it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly.” Mozart

DARE TO EXPERIMENT
"Don't play what's there, play what's not there." Miles Davis

"If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head almost nothing." Marc Chagall

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly." Buckminster Fuller


"All profoundly original art looks ugly at first." Clement Greenberg

Here are a few neat things to help your creativity while you surf today:

http://www.creativityforlife.com/full_article.php?article_id=37

Here's a cool quiz for artists preparing their first portfolio:
See it here


Ok, well peace out. I've got to go lay back down for a bit.
Hopefully things will even out soon.

Monday, January 16

The joys of femininity


Well life the last few days here has been a real pain. It's been excruciatingly busy over the weekend. I finally got the huge birthday party for my girls planned, and excecuted. We did an amazing Race theme, with a scavenger hunt/race type 2 1/2 hour competetion. It took alot of work, and the kids all enjoyed it. We had 24 people racing and they all seemed to enjoy it. I have felt so odd all week, not exactly ill, but not well either. Then it hit around 3:30 Thursday afternoon. The dreaded UTI- I waited about an hour then headed in. There has to be nothing more miserable than that. So the Dr. put me on Cipro--which makes me feel so out of it. Then it is was off to get that party planned. Quite busy over the weekend. It was an exhaustive mindbending task, but it is one I hope the girls remember forever. My favorite part was boiling up the chicken feet for the oink / cluck challenge!
The kids had to transfer pickled pigs lips or chicken feet from one containter to another. It was gross!!!

Anyway, I have had my fill of cranberry juice for awhile. I don't think I could drink much more. It's really good for you though. Here is a little cranberry juice recipe that helped me get more of it down. The taste is ununusually addicting:
1/2 glass Northland Cranberry Juice (not the cranberry cocktail stuff, although it will work in a pinch)
1/2 glass Diet 7-up
1/2 green lime, squeezed into a glass.
Mix it all up and it tastes wonderful..very tart.

Well, I hope to be updating my website this week. I am trying to make a definitive decision on my new company and whether or not I should start it.
Who knows?
Today has been an official flop day---I so needed it. I'll go fix dinner then we will watch a movie or something.
Some days you just need to do nothing. Hopefully the rest will benefit my body.
Or at the very least my mind.

Wednesday, January 11

Creativity Quote for the Day 1-11-05


I am going to be an artist! – I don't really know where I got my artist idea... I only know that by that time it was definitely settled in my mind.-Georgia O'Keefe

I've missed posting my art thoughts for the day. Any comments on that one? For me the quote above totally explains how I became an artist. A nuance from my childhood, an idea, or is it just who I am intrisically am?
Art is a phenomenal thing, and creating makes me feel so much closer to the Creator. I belive in divine guidance and I feel most at peace when I am painting. Even to the wee hours of the morning. I love it, it's invigorating and enlivening to me.

Time for a hair appointment.
Have a great day!

Tuesday, January 10

Some days I just hate technology

Ugh!
This face lift is painful. I've spent way too much time today trying to figure this all out. I can't stand leaving things not right. I can't figure out why my images can't be seen from my new hosting company. Not coool and I am getting more frustrated by the minute..

ugggghhhhhh. Not to mention I have to totally relearn all the software to update my site now. Not good. I may have to back out with that 30 day moneyback guarantee if I can't get it together.

Working on a face lift for my blog

It's been a while since I posted. I am working on so many projects that I can't keep up with everything. Switching hosting companies for my sites, trying to update pages , catch up on orders. Then also my new business passion for my new cosmetic line and store are also consuming me. I've got to get in the studio today and finish up a special rush order so it will be on time. It's tough when people want handpainted originals on a 10 day timeline. I think this will be the last one I do, it's just too stressful. Can I get it done,yes of course. But it feels too much like work, and that just causes a strain on my artistic inspiration.
Stay tuned to see what is up with the blog..maybe I can get it all worked out here in a bit.
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