Of Moose, Flowers, A Mill and Mountain Passes + A Fish Taco Recipe

On Saturday morning Larr and I happen to be in just the right place to see two moose enter and swim across a lake over at Officer's Gulch neat Cooper Mountain. It was very cool and exciting. Larr had never seen moose in the wild. We are curious if they swam or walked across the lake. When they reached the other side the male moose waited for the female moose to get fully on shore before he climbed onto the shore. I assume he was making sure that she was safe. We might have missed it if it were not for two men who were on another part of the shore of the lake. They had a clear view of the moose walking towards the lake and motioned for us to look that way.

After that excitement we drove over to Vail Pass and drove over Shrine Pass. It was a glorious day for wild flowers. We had to stop and take a bunch of photographs. We also thought a lot about Larr's mother, Eleanor. She would have been so happy to have been with us today.

I also love to look at the trees, their many shades of green and the abundant pine cones that cluster at the tops of many trees. It is a silly thing to love, but I love it anyway.

We even came across what might have been an old homestead.

We came out in Red Cliff, stopped for a great lunch at Mango's and then headed back towards the Breckenridge. We drove through the town and kept on going, taking in Hoosier Pass and the Monarch Mill.

The weather at the top of the passes is completely different from the weather down in town. In Breck it was a comfortable, sunny 78 degrees. At the top of Hoosier Pass I had to put on my coat; it felt like an afternoon in mid-fall. There was thunder in the distance while it rained hard where we were.

Looking out over the valley Larr spied Magnolia Mine, a place he had never been to or documented, so we had to check it out, of course. I decided that I did not need to walk in the cold rain to see a mine, so I hung out in the car knitting. Larr, however, was thrilled.

We happened to go over Hoosier Pass a second time on Sunday and what a difference a day makes.

You see, Larr and I spent a few days in the Breckenridge area; we went over many of the local passes and continental divides. We drove up via HWY 285, stopping at the summit of Kenosha Pass where I was reminded of how much I love to go camping. Lots of memories flooded back as we drove those roads.

We then went up Boreas Pass. I was a bit afraid at the early part as the road was very thin and we were on the cliff side of things. Thankfully, we only encountered a few vehicles that we needed to make space for. By the time we got near the top it was raining and threatening to turn into small hail or snow. There are several sets of bikers riding down the pass. It looked like a lot of fun. In a very Larr fashion, we had to explore some of the roads off of the pass that he had never been to. We were rewarded with the sight of a old shovel on one of those small roads. My husband is so talented; he is able to photograph everyday object and find the beauty in them.

We have many wonderful memories and photographs from Boreas Pass. It rained there, too, but that meant that Larr was able to photograph what the forest looks like after it rains.

I think it is fair to say that we have done a thorough job of exploring the passes in the Breckenridge area. It was nice to get away even if for only a few days. It was our first childless trip in most likely 21 years; it felt strange to take in the beauty without having them be part of it.
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Fish Tacos
via: Creole Contessa (slightly modified by me-including doubling the spice mix)

4 whitefish fillets (I used Corvina, which was great. It was $$6 a pound, instead of the Wahoo or Pollack that I usually buy at $15 a pound)
1 (2) tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 (2) teaspoon creole seasoning ( I used Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning)
1 (2) teaspoon black pepper
1/2 (1) teaspoon onion powder
1/2 (1) teaspoon chili powder
1/4 (1/2) teaspoon cumin
1/4 (1/2) teaspoon oregano, dried, crushed
1/2 (1) lemon, juiced
1/2 (1) lime, juiced
corn tortilla shells
grated cheese
limes to garnish
shredded cabbage


<b>For the Sriracha Sour Cream: (I did not make this, but it sounds tasty.)
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce


Rinse fish and pat dry. Place fish in a bowl or Ziplock baggie, add seasonings, olive oil and juice to fish, mix well. (I cut our fish into bit size pieces.)
Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Wrap tortilla shells up in foil paper. Place on prepared grill until fish is ready.

Grill fish for 6-7 minutes per side until flaky. (I prepared the fish by cooking it in a small bit of olive oil in a skillet on the stove - very quick.)

To Prepare the Sriracha Sour Cream:
Serve with sriracha sour cream by mixing ingredients together.
Serve with cheese, coleslaw and a squeeze of lime.

This is an Ellie approved recipe.

Gifts for My Kids, How to Convert an Image in Photoshop For Use in a Gallery Wrapped Presentation, A Caesar Salad Recipe + Music Videos

A while back Ethan mentioned that he would like to have some mom made art to have once he moved out and lived on his own, but he did not really want to be the subject of the art. He reminded me that it would be a bit odd to display photos of yourself, alone in a photo, in your apartment; I understood that. So I decided to create gallery wrapped images printed on rice paper in my encaustic class at Anderson Ranch. The goal I set for myself was to pick three images (good are is often displayed in odd numbers) that represented each kid's trip without having people in the pictures. I really liked how they turned out.

(Three photos from Ethan's, Larr's and Doug's trip to northern Washington state. These images are from the Hoh Rain forest.)

(Three photos from Ellie's recent trip to South Africa near East Cape.)

I love the way they look printed on the rice paper, mounted on a prepared wood panel, encaustic medium added and gallery wrapped. No need for frames when done this way. I used a natural rice paper that had a digital coating so that it could be run through a regular color printer. I love the warm yellow undertone it gives the pictures.

One of the really useful things I learned about at Anderson Ranch was how to get an image ready for a gallery wrap using Photoshop.

Begin by picking out an image and a wooden panel that has had the top and sides painted with gesso. (You could skip the gessoing if you wanted the color and grain of the wood to be somewhat visible through the image.)

Measure the top surface of the panel; even though it might say that it is 5" x 7", in may in fact be a bit smaller or larger. This was the case with two of my items. Then measure how deep the panel sides are. Now, figure out the size you need your completed image to be. Let's say that you have a 5" x 7" image and a panel that is 1 3/4" deep. I would make my print so that it is 9" x 13". Now, you don't want the important parts of your image to show up on the sides, so here is the trick that I learned.

Open you image in Photoshop so that it is 5" x 7" with 300 dpi resolution. Now, go up to image and select "canvas size," and make that canvas 9.25" x 13.25". (This extra room in the image will allow for extra to make sure there is enough image. This should get cut off once you are mounting your photo.)

Look at your layers palette on the right hand side of your screen. Make sure that you are on the layer where your image is. Next, pick the selection tool (the one with the dotted line). Start at the upper left-hand corner and drag it diagonally toward the bottom right-hand corner of the canvas that aligns with the upper part of the image. If this is confusing, just look at the image below.

Use the selection tool (the thing that looks like an arrow) and use the arrows on your keypad to move the dotted line box down into the image, stopping with the upper dotted line is just inside of your image. Now, copy it (ctrl+ C). This has now copied the part of the image that is inside of the dotted line box. And then you need to paste (Ctrl + V) it (if you forget this step, when you move the selected area, you will change your main image.)

Now you are going to use this to create the image that will be visible on the border of the wood panel. Do this by using the transformation tool (ctrl + T). You will know you have done this correctly when a new box with handles (little boxes) appears around that same image. Click on the handle that is in the center of the bottom of the box and drag it up so that it meets up with the top of your canvas. As you do this, you will see a mirror image display there. Repeat this process at the bottom of the image. When you are done with this part, your image will have mirrored sections at the top and bottom of the image, but still show canvas on the sides.

Each of these new parts are on their own layers. You need to make this your whole image in order to move onto the step. You can do this by selecting the top layer, Click on the 3 lines to get the pull down menu by the layers palette. Select Merge Visible. You will know that you have been successful because it will be back to one layer.

Now you will do the same process, but with the sides instead of the top and bottom.

Once this is printed, you are good to go onto attaching it to your panel. First you need to figure out exactly where your panel will go. Do this by placing the printed image right side down on a light board, or hold it up to a sunny window. Position the panel where it goes and draw the lines with a pencil. Make sure you are writing on the back of the image.

To gallery wrap your image you have to choose whether you want to wrap the edges like you would a present, or trim it with tabs so that there is not so much overlap. If you are going to choose that option, do those cuts at this time.

Use Nori paste and a small spatula to apply a very thin layer of the glue to the area that you have marked out on the back of the image. Make sure that you have your printed image on a clean piece of paper so that nothing gets on it.

Place the panel carefully in the glue applied area. flip it over, place a clean piece of paper on top of the image and rub it from the middle of the image outward. The purpose here is to make sure the image is fully attached, that there are no air bubble and any extra glue is pushed out. Be sure to lift the paper from time to time to check your progress. Once you are happy with this, use a brayer to repeat the process. Once you are satisfied, place it, face down, on a table to dry. After it is completely dry, add glue to one of two sides at a time and repeat the glue down process to adhere them. Once this is complete and dry, you are ready to engage in the encaustic process.
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While I was at Anderson Ranch, Geri and her husband, two of the head chefs, made a wonderful Caesar Salad. Ellie loves it, too, so I make a nice Caesar Salad last night:

Caesar Salad

Dressing:
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced, 3 for dressing and 3 for the croutons
3/4 cup mayonnaise
5 anchovy fillets, minced or 2 1/2 tea. Anchovy paste ( 1/2 tea. = 1 anchovy)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 c. lemon juice
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

Croutons: (from Damn Delicious Blog)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (12-count) package KING'S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls, diced into 1-inch cubes

To make the dressing, place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and combine. While this dressing is wonderful right away, it will be even better if it sits for a bit so that the flavors can combine fully.

To make the croutons. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, butter, parsley, oregano, basil and garlic powder.
Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Add olive oil mixture and gently toss to combine. Place into oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 8-10 minutes; set aside.

To serve you can opt to fully dress the salad with the dressing, topping it with cheese and croutons, or you can serve them separately.
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Kate Voegele


Anna Nalick

Texas Tourism Silliness

I went to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival this weekend and had a great time. One of the exhibitors was the Texas Tourism Board. They had fun games, a fake passport and a photostation where I had this taken. The funny thing is, the guy who took my photo said that he had never had anyone take a photo like that and that it was his favorite. In fact, he would do one like that himself, later. Huh, I thought to myself. Looking at the cattle in the photo, how could you not come up with that idea. It was good to be silly. I laughed inside, even as I was wrapping the rope around my self and figuring out how I should arrange my face.

I will share more about the actual art that I enjoyed in another post.

Happy Independence Day! + Four Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe

This week we are missing Ethan more than usual as Independence Day is sort of his holiday. He called to say that he is having fun in Washington State with his friends on the boat and that he misses us, too.

We've had two days of 4th of July parties and activities:

Ellie is back to maintaining hiking trails this summer. On Thursday she decorated her helmet. The crew leaders enjoy seeing what she adds to her helmet. Sometimes, when they are having a rough day, they will go by to see Ellie and be cheered by the helmet decorations she is sporting.

I took at Crayon Batik class at Make It in Golden. It was really fun and much easier than I was expecting. I will do a write up of that soon.

Ellie created a fun cupcake tower using plates and stemware that we glue together with superglue. She also made the lovely cupcakes herself. They were a hit.

Four Cheese Macaroni
via: The Cures

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
9 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
8 ounces cubed processed cheese food
2 eggs beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the oil and the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente drain well and return to cooking pot.

In a small saucepan over medium heat melt 8 tablespoons butter stir into the macaroni.

In a large bowl combine the Muenster cheese mild and sharp Cheddar cheeses and Monterey Jack cheese mix well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Add the half and half 1 1/2 cups of cheese mixture cubed processed cheese food and eggs to macaroni mix together and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a lightly greased deep 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese mixture and 1 tablespoon of butter.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges serve.

*** The Cures are friends of ours. This is a dish they bring to lots of parties. It is a lovely, smooth Mac and Cheese recipe that is not as greasy, runny or gummy as many of the recipes can be. I hope you enjoy it.

Family Portraits - My Incomplete Works and Workflow, a Recipe and a Video About Being a Girl

First thing you should know, this post is incomplete, as is the art that I am featuring in this post. This post is a bit about the work flow for the new family portraits that I am creating for the family. Last time I went to Anderson Ranch Art Center, I created portraits of each of us. I was very cool to do that. I decided that I would have another go at it. I thought it would be fun to start a tradition like that. I had expected to use color photos (of each of us and some of the objects that are important to each person, some textures and some words) but once I saw one of the samples that Mia shared, I was smitten and captivated. I decided that I needed to give it a go. I decided to ditch my signature style and go for it. Afterall, I went to the workshop to be with other artists, to push my own style and add to what I do. Where better to dump your signature style and try something new. It was exciting and very scary!

Here's the encaustic of Beau that motivated me. It is by Mia:

I love the subtle colors and the contrast of the black & white image with that color.

I began with images that I converted to black & white.

Then I added layers of medium (bee's wax and Damar Resin) then layers of color. After fusing those together, I added some wax pigment. Wax, fuse, pigment, remove some wax, fuse, wax; wax on, wax off.

As you can see, I have way more color than you see in Mia's sample. Color is just part of me. I am working on making my portraits more subtle.

During our class critiques, one person suggested that I could let go a bit, scrape them off and start again. You see, it is possible that I am just a little too tied to my art; perhaps I need to let go a bit. I might do that, and I might not. I asked Ellie about it. She suggested that I keep these and make another set. Perhaps that is the right answer. She pointed out that we could take new portraits where each person is looking forward. Perhaps. Perhaps. I would like to have used photos that are tied to a moment, an experience. But a portrait might yield more satisfying results.

At one point I was super-tempted to add some words to the portraits, but I have not done it. I even discussed it with the others in the class. I have come to the thinking that the words would distract from the portraits. One person suggested that I could add the words to the edges of the portraits. I may do that. However, Ellie suggested that a sample, flat black might be a great way to tie the image to the color. I put some black tape on the edges and was confirmed that it was the right answer.

My gosh, I am so lucky to have a girl who has such a good artistic sense are part of all of her wonderfulness.



Cup Cakes
via: Deliciously Sprinkled (We modified the recipe)

Vanilla Cupcakes:
1 box (15.25oz) vanilla cake mix
1 box (3.4oz) vanilla INSTANT pudding mix, dry
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup milk
1 cup sour cream
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line (2) 12 count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
Using an electric or stand mixer, mix the cake mix, vanilla pudding,oil,milk,sour cream and eggs until smooth.
Pour cupcake batter into the cupcake liners (about ¾ the way full). Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.

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