my week

The theme this week was, appropriately so, new things.  New hobby, new food, new show, and new project.

I got a gift card to Powell's Books for Christmas- actually it was more like I "stole" it from my father-in-law in our family gift exchange.  Powell's is an enormous new and used bookstore in downtown Portland, and it's a must stop for any tourist wanting to get a good dose of Portland culture.  I can literally spend hours in this place, and the beautiful thing is, so can the rest of my family.



Last week, my husband and I had a free night without kiddos, so we headed to Powell's.  I only made it about 10 feet in when a book caught my eye.  It's called Tart and Sweet:101 Canning and Pickling Recipes for the Modern Kitchen.  The title alone made my mouth water!



I've been wanting to learn how to put up food, and this book walks you through all the basics.  I'm also all about unique combinations of flavors in the kitchen, and I was enticed by the recipes in Tart and Sweet.  Here's what I made this week: Candied Kumquats with Cinnamon and Star Anise, Lemon Herb Pickled Garlic, Southeast Asian Carrot Daikon Pickles, Wasabi Green Beans, and Preserved Lemons.

I like exotic foods, but there are times when I just want a good cheeseburger.  Around the corner from Powell's is locally owned Little Big Burger.  Picture a modern and minimalist fast food burger joint, and that is Little Big Burger.  I ordered my hamburger with chevre cheese, and it did not disappoint.  In fact, it was so good, my husband and I came back a few days later with our girls.  Other nice surprises included the spicy house ketchup and the bold and graphic art of Damien Gilley blanketing one wall of the restaurant. 

Thursday night was my artist reception at Prana.  After a very busy season of work, it was so nice to catch up with friends.



Since my Etsy shop now looks a little bare without these paintings, I decided to take on a new project.  I'm going to commit to creating and uploading one new original work of art into my Etsy shop every day for the next 30 days.  Prices will vary from one work to the next, but most will be in the $30 - $75 range.  Again, these are all one-of-kind pieces that I will create in upcoming weeks.  I just completed the first one last night.  It's titled morning mist.

On this blog, I will show a recap of new works once a week.  If you want to get a daily update in your reader, you can subscribe to my Etsy shop's RSS feed here.