A Fanciful Twist

PS: Don't Forget the Homemade Pizza!

Summer nights.

What better than homemade pizza on these lovely evenings?

My recipe is right here.

It's easy and shouldn't let you down a bit, I promise.

I was out of unbleached flour.

So, I just mixed in half wheat flour.

But I have been known to even grind up oats and make an oat flour pizza.

I figured since it's the weekend, and some of you even have gardens giving treats you can use, what better time than to remind you of my easy recipe?

I didn't use my pizza sheet this time, I just dusted a standard rectangular cookie sheet with a little wheat flour, and just built up the sides a little.

I was in the mood for a rectangular pizza like my French friend used to make.

Veggies, cheese, fresh basil at the end.

Yummms.

What better way to end it than with our favorite summer nights in the garden?

Under the trees.

Mister Lovee playing his guitar.

Dogs running around playing.

Testing new wand too, bwahahahaha!

;-)

Testing.

Burning toe.

But good fun.

Oooooo, magic wand times, I love it!

(okay okay, it's just a sparkler)

A cool breeze blew in yesterday late afternoon.

I put on my walking gear with hopes to get stuck in a storm.

A huge storm was on the east side of me, another on the west with lightning, wind, rain all around, but never a drop on me.

See, it's a bizarre Arizona after-all, and always.

Summer nights, tucked into the memory vaults.

Love them so.

 

Happy Weekend!

 

Hope you make pizza, trust me, you will never see pizza the same once you make it yourself.

 

Pizza dough recipe here.

 

Has anyone tried my recipe before with success?

Eeks, I hope so!

 

Okay, off I go!

 

Loooove, V

 

 

 

ps:  Random tid-bit...

If you are a die hard Tori Amos fan (since 1992 here), then you know she is on tour and rocking it big time, even throwing in massive awesome covers into her great vibrance and sound.

She's 50 and amazing as ever.

So, what better could she do than cover a fave, Depeche Mode, right?

Love her cover of In Your Room, you can watch it here.

What a collision of two faves!

 

Owlie Days

In the studio and in the garden...

All sorts of this and that's happening.

Painting on the easel, ready for the next one.

Looking for a home, time for dreaming up another.

Tea and a/c wind and music and paint.

Mister glossy eyes, looking at all that goes on out in the intense heat of these days.

We were graced with what we see as a little miracle here on our plot of earth.

To be a part of a happening so grand has encompassed our days.

A birth.

Two actually.

Babies.

But not just any babies.

Born in the trees.

Guess what kind of babies?

Owlie babies.

Crusty closed eyes start to open.

Crying for mama as soon as the sun starts to go down and early evening enters.

Me frantic.

But having to accept that nature and mama know best.

Babies crying, oh it gets me!

At first there were two.

But one must have learned to fly a bit, as he went to a bigger tree with mama.

I could still see him though.

Leaving this little guy sitting in the tree above Baby's grave for a few days.

Oh sweet fuzzy baby.

Braving the horrible sun.

Waiting for mama to bring dinner.

Waiting to learn how to fly.

Getting a bit stronger every day.

Until one day his eyes were wide circles and it was time to fly away late at night.

Hopping really, from branch to branch, landing on the ground, hopping again.

All the while mama below, sitting in the tree across the garden.

Watching.

As she hopped from tree limb to tree limb, in that place where extra amounts of gophers live.

Yes yes, gobble away dear mama.

All you can.

Isn't she a beauty?

And then, one morning, they moved across the way to a bigger and mightier tree.

And every night I hear them still.

Our beautiful baby owls who I will never forget.

What a gift, to have babies born in your yard.

We watch out the window, while I play with clay.

Building bodies and sewing frocks.

Firing littles, and painting away.

I am ever so pleased to play a game called Halloween night.

Where little trick or treaters turn up.

What nice costumes you have, I say.

Don't they seemed terribly amused with my frolic?

Matty punches the door.

Just open it you twit, I hear him mumble.

:-)

Trick or Treat!

I tell ya my friends, they are the quality control team of all things clay.

Is that appalling?

How are they doing?

Ha!

How can one get anything done with beautiful furs beckoning, calling that cuddle times last all day?

I give in...

But then I get back to the studio.

Where all manner of goodies are happening.

I am enjoying getting this time with the piece below while it is looking for a home.

We have tea and music every day, and it begs me to keep it on the easel.

So I oblige.

I want to be in that loveliest day for all times.

I love sheep.

But I do sneak away for endless hugs.

How can you say no to a tail like that?

It's not possible.

No way.

That's a tail of love I tell ya.

Imagine having a tail like that?

 

He brings me his brush everyday, begging to be brushed.

No shame at all.

He gives me one side, then puts a paw up so I can do his under side, then the same again with the other side.

Who taught him I do not know?

He would like to be brushed all day long.

As though a person has nothing to do.

 

Ah, to be a dog.

Beloved by his mother.

Allowed in the fluffy bed.

No care in the world.

 

That's life, ain't it?

 

Dog days of summer, indeed, and still.

:-)

 

Looove, V

 

 

 

 

Little Harvests...

A few harvests are coming in, as I play in clay madly.

Grapes dangle, waiting patiently.

Of course, we would rather get through this intense heat by lying around face to face.

Canoodling.

But as the rains came in, a few things ripened in the garden and needed to come in.

The grape vine looked as though it could take no more heat.

Zinnias exploded.

The grapes got very sweet.

And when the Phainopeplas turned up and were gobbling them down...

Bunches at at time, then I knew.

I had to pick.

I love these little grapes.

They are small and so sweet with a little hint of tartness every other one.

Which I love.

I ate so many while washing and taking off the stems.

Such cuties.

Pumpkins are starting to get great big vines...

As we work so hard to protect everything from critters.

The gophers have been especially awful this year.

They got a whole bed of tomatoes, even though there is intense wire mesh under ground.

They killed our 10 year old lemon tree, two roses bushes...

And countless other things.

They sucked down chilies and bell peppers.

It's been a doozy.

I replanted 3 times, but then couldn't keep up.

I plum stopped crying over it.

We may have to switch to above ground planters.

We are working on those plans.

Thank goodness they stay away from the basil and carrots and leeks and onions.

(knock on wood)

I love roasting carrots and potatoes and beets.

Just wash and dry (chop the potatoes as you wish), coat with a little olive oil, put on a cookie sheet.

Sprinkle with salt and pop in oven for 45 minutes at 425' F.

(turning halfway through cooking)

They are so yumm.

If you want to herb them with rosemary and such, just finely chop your fresh herbs and then toss them with the veggies as soon as you take them out of the oven.

I also make barbecue chicken a lot.

Leg quarters quite often.

(with skin on for moisture)

You can make your own sauce if you don't have any.

Just mix ketchup, Tabasco (hot) sauce, a little vinegar, brown sugar, salt, garlic powder and worcestershire sauce if you have any on hand.

Mix those all up to taste, and coat your chicken with it in a big bowl.

(or just buy your fave barbecue sauce)

Heat both sides of your grill.

Brown your chicken as you wish for about 3 minutes a side, always stay present in case the skin goes up in flames you can flip it real quick.

Then turn off one side of the burners on your grill and put all your chicken on the side that is off.

Leave the other side on high or med-high flames.

Then close the lid and let each side of the chicken cook on the side that is off for 30 minutes per side.

Total of 1 hour.

It's soooo good, you won't believe it.

Let cool a few minutes before serving.

The garden is in full summer magic.

Peaches almost ready.

Butterflies and critters everywhere.

Resting from the heat on my freshly watered wild verbenas.

I brought some wild verbenas from the river bed 10 years ago, in a tiny cup, and now they grow all over my yard in big waves.  I love it when that happens :-)

Sunflowers unfurl happily.

And then look who turns up.

Gobbling away all the goodness it can find hidden in flowers.

Moving at the speed of light.

Yumm yumm!

It's lazy dog days of summer my friends.

We are about to have crazy heat and no rain again for a while.

But we have lots of little sweet grapes.

Which I am boiling down to a grape syrup.

It's sooo good hot.

And of course, more basil than we could ever use.

We ate so much pesto this weekend and so much French bread we should be ashamed.

The gift of all gifts.

Mister Lovee presented me with the first ripe giant peach of the year from our kind tree.

It was lovely.

Basil and peaches and grapes and...

Lots of love.

What more could we ask for in the dog days of summer?

I tried to transplant my lemon tree tonight, with all its roots gone from gopher eating.

One can hope.

 

I have soo much clay fun on the table.

I will start firing and painting this week.

 

What is going on out there in your world?

Send me more rain, k?

 

Looove, V

 

 

 

Mad Tea Party Recovery

Are you still tea sipping or are you starting the recovery process?

One does need massive naps in droopy hammocks after eating endless crumpets.

Wouldn't you say?

I am starting my recovery so that we can have a little time off before Halloween party planning turns up.

Isn't it odd, how close autumn is all of a sudden?

Yet, it's soooo hot and summery, that I am not ready to think fall quite yet.

The party was beyond fun, visiting you all was wonderful!!!

Thank you for plunging in and making it what it is.

I had a blast!

Around here intense heat causes monsoon rain clouds to get happy and perhaps give lovely showers.

And you know what rain means?

A much desperately needed day off for me in the Southern Arizona desert from garden chores.

Oh goodness, what a joy to have a day off.

I lollygag making clay sculptures and writing letters.

Enjoying every minute of a cloudy day.

Watching The Invisible Woman.

Folding lace.

However, if you know me, then you know that I LOVE water.

And if there is water, I will be in it.

Off come the shoes and striped socks.

In I go.

Wading through pools of water.

Admiring orange tree silhouettes in puddles.

Foraging for dinner bits and bobs in the veggie garden.

Hiding on the porch.

Singing in the rain for certain.

Watching the plants get so happy.

Closing the umbrella a bit so water will roll off into pots.

Loving every second.

Watching a volunteer patch of grass grow.

Loud monsoon storms are the best.

Lightning, thunder, hail.

I love hail.

You have to enjoy it because 20 minutes after it rains the sun might come back full force.

Miles watched the rain from the office.

I clap like a child over pools of water.

The desert is delighted.

I peek around the garden with a towel over me like a ghost costume.

I watch pumpkin vines explode.

As my gardens get the best hydration they have had in months and months.

I shiver soaked to the bone.

Cozying up to Mister Lovee.

But head out a second time with a new towel.

No umbrella for me, thanks.

I watch glorious and huge volunteer zinnias grow.

And as afternoon clouds make a little space, the sun peeks out.

Gifting those amazing monsoon sunsets.

And the next day, rain again.

As I sit by and pray for more rain.

And more rain.

But instead we get crazy hot sun.

Although, I am still wishing + waiting for more rain.

With great hope.

 

Because then I can take another chores morning off, and do terribly fun things.

Finish sewing some dresses for some little gals I can't wait to share.

And, sketch a little.

 

Are you rested up, still partying??

Thank you again, MTP 2014 was a blast!!!

 

xoxo

 

Love, V