Ham and Cheese Waffles from Bon Appetite Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 large egg whites
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup soda water
• Non-stick vegetable oil spray
• 1 cup thinly-cut strips of ham
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp white cheddar
• Maple syrup
• 
  

• Special Equipment

  Waffle maker
  
  

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 300°. Heat waffle iron until very hot. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a medium bowl until medium-soft peaks form. Whisk egg yolks, melted butter, buttermilk, and soda water in a medium bowl; gradually whisk into dry ingredients. Fold in egg whites.
• Coat waffle iron with non-stick vegetable oil spray. Pour batter onto iron, spreading it into corners (amount of batter needed will vary according to machine). Scatter 1 rounded Tbsp. ham and 1 Tbsp. white cheddar over each waffle. Cook until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a baking sheet; keep waffles warm in oven between batches. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup.

Courtesy of Bon Appetite magazine ... this just looked like YUM! to me!
Of course, the crispy little cheese bits... and all that butter... it has to be good!
savory and sweet.

Mother Natures Impressionistic Touch

                                                                    

Views from my garden March 28th 2012 an early spring and as someone said

" This Spring is like the Disney firework show finale... everything... spectacular, all at once!"

Enjoy it!

 matha

Saturday daily paintings

Original piece is of

The Door County boat on the dock.

Then I try to use up the paint on my palette.

Enjoy!

Original oil, wood board 4x4 unframed $95.00

Original oil, wood board 4x4 unframed$40.00 

Original oil, 4x4 wood canvas board $48.00

Burlap and Grasshoppers!?

So fun to see old friends!

The show goes on at 

124 N Main 

Wheaton Il.

Opendoor Studio Gearing Up for Weekend Sales!

flower in my garden...

  This Spring, ok so we are only one official day into it..., but I have been spending hours trying to get my things organized in my  Warrenville, IL Home and Studio

books and colorful finds

old school map, glove molds, ladders and more

Here are a few views of the "work in progress" ... I still have so much more to display and everything to price...

         Remember, everything you see is also for RENT!

one globe from my vast collection and some cool trunks and boxes!

 Motivated by several shops in Barrington, the town of my youth,  where they fling the doors to the warehouse open wide... on a beautiful day, and send emails out to all...as a reminder!

I have been filling my garage with vintage finds for some time now...

I have had a little "studio" where I love to set up vignettes... my folly!

( it also acts as storage for the many shows I will be on the road for this year!)

I will be opening it on special weekend and week days, to friends, family and passers by.  

an example of the smallest sale sign...the others are huge and fun!

My Husband made a few special signs,

I painted them to say "Vintage Sale Today" 

and

 I will try to keep up with an ever growing Email list of folks who might be interested in stopping by, in their travels.

   Please contact me at

Opendoorstudio@yahoo.com if you would like further info about anything you see here!

         oh...and send your email to the address above if you would like to be added to my list!

       Thanks so much to customers and friends for their encouragement (oh and my Husband and kids too!)

Can't wait to see you SOON!

oh....Now I am able to accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express cards for your convenience!

A Few Hours and Some Canvas

Had Tuesday off...
thought I would take advantage of the color mixing tutorial I received from Tom Brown, plein air artist out of California.

I found a photo I took last Summer on a trip up North.
A beautiful Red Barn in a sea of Summer color.  There was a special Barn Quilt Project going on when I shot the photo, that is what you see depicted on the front of the barn.
 
I finally Pulled out my Oil paints and Palette.
a little 5 x 7 canvas board...
(this photo was fresh off the easel... with some drying time, the colors will become more vibrant in a photo)

Here is the result!

Daily photo.

I drive over the bridge every morning at the same time!

This was the first photo of my collection.

I took this one last fall. 

( please pardon the blur... I hold my camera to the side while driving by in my car, open the window...look straight ahead at the road... and hope for the best... sometimes, if I am lucky... the light turns red and there are several cars ahead of me causing me to pause on the bridge for a moment!)

   I have been taking photos of the same area... almost every morning... here are a few.  I love how the light is different every day.... I am not going to like it much when we have the time change and we are thrust into the dark again in the early morning!
    This morning when I drove by... without camera or Iphone in hand... The white geese were floating with the swans, in the little pond to the right.  Some of their duck friends had stopped by to join them.  Sorry I didn't capture that!

feb 27th, 2012

feb 28, 2012

feb 29th, 2012

March 1, 2012

March 5, 2012

I am a painter... I believe a painter sees light and shadows... changes in them and the possibilities! 

My Top Purchases from Etsy.com

My Top Etsy Purchases...

from most recent stretching all the way back to 2007!

Some of the shops have changed names, some have closed for now... many are still alive and kicking!

Enjoy.

Madgedishes.etsy.com 

 just love how colorful they are!

Sorrythankyou79.etsy.com

 so clever, she painted the books and the numbers on them!

Andrea has so many wonderful book collections, she sells them by color! LOVE it!

Theinksociety.etsy.com has my FAV sign EVER!

 Move over "keep calm carry on" 'cause
 " The earth without art is just eh"
is taking over!

Scentsiblescents.etsy.com 's bookends!
There is a great story behind why i bought these, but that is for another day!
I love them as you can see from my blog header!

Niftic.etsy.com had this wonderful game in her shop and I had to snatch it up ! 

She has some wonderful finds You will love visiting her shop!

EtcandMore.etsy.com

 had this great Chautauqua Industrial Art Desk for sale...I snapped it up and it now sits on my bedside table.

Grayworksdesign.etsy.com creates these beautiful footed Plattes
I bought the black walnut as it reminds me of the beautiful trees just outside my window.
 I love it and brought it to a Thanksgiving gathering filled to the brim with cheese and fruit and sausage...
it was the hit of the party.   A Platte of bounty!

Jean from 3squares.etsy.com collaborated with me to create this great necklace. 

It holds your moo.com mini cards and is a work of art that people ask you about all the time.
 When someone stops me on the street, I pull out the card on the top that caught their eye to begin with...
and
 It is a great gateway into a discussion about my etsy shop!
( Hey those are my business cards in her photo... great cross marketing I say! )

Salted Carmel carmels... Haveitconfections.etsy.com has the BEST!
These melt in your mouth and are wonderful to share... if you don't eat it all by yourself first!

My daughters and their friends can not stop talking and swapping these pretty eye shadows from PureMineralsSource.etsy.com . They are a loose powder and you can't go wrong with any of the colors!

The letter M from paperdollwoodshop.etsy.com is a fav and sits on my husbands bedside table... 

just as you see it here... 

with magazines in it!

My Grandma and Grandpa lived on Chestnut Ave and those were some of my most fond memories... how delightful was it to find an old street sign that reminded me of being a child and visiting them in Narberth PA!
 from
  junkyardgarden.etsy.com

I just love this little wallet ... mine is a bit worn out now from using it daily! But, it is still cute as can be!
  Bought it from
  feralEmpire.etsy.com

Tonyabug.etsy.com 's sticker sits proudly on the back of my mellow yellow VW Bug!  

  It is a daily reminder of some of the awesome sellers on Etsy.

Moonshinervintage.etsy.com had these lovelies up for sale and a steal at 35.00.  I took a chance that they would fit.  I remember when they arrived, I tore them out of the box and put them on... they fit " like a glove" as if they were made just for me! 

LOVE them 

I use these almost every time I do a photo shoot.  One or more of them end up in my photos somewhere!  I have realized I love books... I don't tend to read them but I love the aesthetic.  I love the color and illustrations within.  So fun to see what people do with repurposed books.  from Lucky15.etsy.com .

Brainscan.etsy.com   this was wonderful coffee!
I am not sure if she is still selling it on Etsy as I purchased it back in 2008
 ... but I remember when it arrived in my mailbox. 
The scent of coffee was wafting from the mailbox.
  It surprised me that some postal carrier along the way didn't try a sample.

Many of these shops are currently closed... Many are still successfully plugging along.  

         I am happy with the purchase I made from them all and thought you might want to share! 

                   I hope you find some of your own favorites on Etsy too!

Martha

I have to add... a couple of honorable mentions... my Landfill lady from Lbdk.etsy.com
and my Camera strap from Eclecticwhatnot.etsy.com
( these are 2 things I enjoy and use daily as well!)
and where the heck did my belt and buckle from fosterweld.etsy.com go?
off to search my closet!

Violet Martini's with Lisa!

Just went through my collection of recipes and found this one.  Before the little slip of paper it was written on... slides out of the book... thought I would share!  This is one that Lisa from Ablastfromthepast.etsy.com shared with me!
    These are yummy!

1 oz. Creme de Violette
1 oz. Plymouth Gin
1/2 oz. Chambord
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1  Tablespoon Simple Syrup

Combine all ingredients in a "Vintage" cocktail shaker... shake over ice and pour into your favorite Martini Glass.
        garnish with a lemon twist or pretty posy!
ENJOY!

Sunday Morning Griddle Cakes

Nothing like a brisk Sunday morning!   Sleeping in a bit... realizing you have a house full of folks who will awake soon and be "Starving"...
   Pull out the ol' Griddle Cake recipe that is sure to fill them up!

 Recipe makes 16 average sized cakes

1 Cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Egg (seperated)
2 Tablespoons Butter (melted)
1 Cup Milk

     Sift Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt in a large bowl.  Stir to mix.  Add the Egg Yolk, Melted Butter and Milk.   Beat until the batter is thoroughly combined.

    In a seperate bowl, whisk Egg White until it holds stiff peaks.  Gradually fold the whites into the batter.  Let the batter stand 10 minutes.  DO NOT STIR AGAIN.
 
   Place a griddle on Medium High heat, and butter lightly.  When the griddle is hot, ladle batter onto the griddle
(this is were you can add the blueberries, Corn or fruit of your choice... quickly after you have ladled on the batter)

  Cook until bottom is browned (about 2 min) and turn to brown the other side.

  Serve with Butter and Syrup (or fruit and whipped cream!)

These really make for light and thick griddle cakes, the outside is a little crispy too!

      Sit down with your family and ENJOY!

A Sunny Day Composition

Last weekend I decided to organize my oil paints, pull them in from the frozen tundra of my "studio" and let them warm up a bit.  It has been far to long since I have had the chance to fill my palette with color and just paint for the fun of it!

Pulled out a 24"x 36" Gallery Wrapped canvas and my favorite brushes... and began to paint!
                           I love the color and am pleased with the result

The day after painting it in Oils... I received a package that I had ordered a week before, from a gal on Etsy.
She creates little plates she calles "Madge Dishes".   Each has been vibrantly painted and when she fires each,
she places a marble or two inside... the result... delightful!

I was thinking of doing something like the photo below...

this photo courtesy of Madgedishes.etsy.com 

But... After hanging her little plates on my living room wall, and noticing how some of my fun flower blooms (from the painting above) looked similar to her plates, I had a change of heart.
Now I think I will create an entire display using my painting and the plates she created!

 When Tony and I move our room downstairs, I will create an art wall... incorporating both the plates and my colorful floral!
      I can't wait!