Ghost Stories

Do you believe in ghosts?  On July 31st, my friends and I were able to document an incorporeal being haunting this abandoned house in the Catskill mountains.  Unquestionably, it was the scariest moment of my life.

Although the house was clearly empty, before we crossed paths with the "white ghost" we felt the eyes of someone or something watching us.

At first, the ghost evaded our attempts to come close.  I was able to capture it in the image above from about 80 feet away using the zoom function on my camera.
Eventually White Ghost warmed up to us and we were able to snap some fabulous shots.

Standing in such close proximity to a real life ethereal being sent chills running up and down every part of my body, but I kept telling myself how important it was to record this moment for posterity.

Although White Ghost vanished into thin air within minutes, its presence will haunt my dreams until the day I die.

Dog Days of Summer

Today in Oneonta, NY it hit 93 degrees fahrenheit.  What a way to end May!  Today I took pictures of new journals I made a few weeks ago, but also had to take some of my buddy, Owen.

Killer Carrot & Cucumber Salad

This side salad is the easiest, most delicious salad I've made in years.  Great in the winter, because the garbanzo beans provide a rich protein and the veggies in it generally taste good year round.




Killer Carrot & Cucumber Salad

1 large grated carrot (or 2 medium)
1 large cucumber, diced in medium sized chunks
2 artichoke hearts, finely chopped (from canned artichokes preserved in salt water- no oil)
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 T balsamic vinegar (aged is best)
1/4 tsp. salt (or more, to taste)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. olive oil

Everything can be added simultaneously in a medium sized bowl.  Stir well.  Let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour, restir, then ready to eat.  If you don't have time, this can be eaten immediately, but tastes better after the ingredients marinate in the vinegars.








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The Ice Storm

Some pics I took while walking over to my friend's studio on Wednesday.  Two more months of this winter wonderland!








The first two pictures were taken of a bush in my front yard.  The rest were taken outside of the studio.

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3 Beer Chili on a Cold Winter Night

Nothing better than a steaming bowl of chili to warm you up on a cold winter's night- and it is cold pretty much every night here! I use 3 different beers and 3 different kinds of beans in this vegetarian chili. Delicious with rice or without.


3 Beer Chili

3 15 oz cans beans; 1 black, 1 pinto, 1 red kidney
36 oz. canned crushed or diced tomatoes
1 small carrot, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 c. dried bulgur
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. minced jalapeno (or more, to taste)
16 oz. beer (I use a combo of IPA or hoppy winter ale, Pale Ale, and Stout or Porter)
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
water, as needed

Can be cooked in a slow cooker (will take at least 8 hours) or in a big pot over the stove. First, saute onions in 1 tsp. olive oil for 2 minutes on med-high heat in a medium sized frying pan. Add minced garlic and saute for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Drain liquid from beans and rinse. Add tomatoes, beans, carrot, green pepper, jalapeno, onions and garlic mixture and 8 oz. beer to slow cooker. Turn it slow cooker (or set heat on large pot to medium) and stir well. Let flavors meld for 2 hours (or 1 hour in large pot, stirring every 15 minutes), then add rest of ingredients. Add water as needed. Basically cook until the carrots are cooked. Add more beer, water, or spices as needed.
Tasted delish with a side of brown rice. You can try different combos of beer.






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Weight by Jeanette Winterson on a snowy Sunday afternoon

This snowy afternoon found me absorbing all of Weight by Jeanette Winterson while sitting with my kitty.  A retelling of the Heracles and Atlas myth, Winterson delicately balances interweaving the mythology of her own life (and therefor the life of every person) with these two Greek heroes so effortlessly that I felt the gravitational pull of the earth on my own shoulders.
As is common with most of Winterson's work, the words she chooses are so poetic that they dazzle and beautify the prose, but with modesty.  I'm truly in love with the language she uses, it almost doesn't sound like English.  Whereas many writers strive to write beautifully and then fall flat when they incorporate a string a pretty words into prose purposefully, Winterson knows what she is doing.
In this work, she has truly considered the weight of Atlas' fate; the mistakes he made, the isolation he felt, the resignation that finally gave into realization that one must not be forever burdened by the past.  Although we are all products of our past, our inner desires create the world for us anew as well.
Whereas the reader can readily relate to Atlas, Heracles is his foil.  Heracles is all charisma, all action, little thought.  Slaying monsters without reason to fear, the only person he trembles beneath is Hera.  His story is shorter than that of Atlas, as he isn't immortal, yet he finds resolution towards the last moments of his life.
Heracles' ending is outwardly tragic, yet he came to the realization that he was content in love and finally felt the recognition of his father.  The events of one's life story isn't the whole story itself.  It is also made up of our thoughts and emotions.
Atlas' ending was open, as is the story of our own lives.  What happens when we leave the Earth?  Do other adventures await?  When we give up the weight of the world, when fate plays itself out- then we have the freedom and responsibility to create the world anew.

Super Moist Vegan Banana Bread w/ Coconut Flour

Being fairly new to vegan baking, I was surprised when this banana bread ended up tasting absolutely fabulous. This bread is soooo moist! The coconut flour adds fiber and a slightly sweeter flavor. My son loved it and we didn't miss the eggs or butter at all.

3 1/2 cup white flour (unbleached)
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
7 mashed ripe bananas
3/4 vanilla soymilk (can sub any other milk)
1 cup canola oil (I only had 1/2 cup, so I used 1/2 olive oil)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Grease 2 bread pans (or 1 large & two small).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix wet ingredients in large bowl and dry ingredients into medium sized bowl.  Slowly fold dry ingredients into wet.  Do not overstir.  Pour into well greased bread pans.  My oven temp swings high and low, so your baking time might differ from mine.  I baked the small loaves for about 30 minutes and the large about 50 minutes.






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‎2nd Annual Studio Holiday Sale Extravaganza

Big Bad Art Collective and Studio 2029 are hosting The 2nd Annual Studio Holiday Sale Extravaganza!!!!!  Saturday, December 11th at noon- 8 p.m.  16-20 East End Avenue, Oneonta, NY.

 Come on over to the East End and check out what local artists have been making.

Jewelry, art prints, vegan soaps, paintings, ceramics, knitted goods, holiday cards, journals and postcards, items for kids, and more kool handcrafted stuff will be available for sale.

Work by local artists/crafters: David Kenny, Karin Bremer, Diana Cozzens, Joseph Von Stengel, Hope Von Stengel, Stephanie Rozene, Caitlyn Davey, Dorothy Wisnewski, Elizabeth Brzezenski, and Lori Kenney-Dozel.

Wine, beer, coffee, tea and all sorts of delicious treaty goodies will be available to enjoy. 

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Vegan MoFo Recipe: Mushroom and Rice Miso Soup

Been really into making combinations of mushroom and miso soups lately.  In the past, I've made mushroom and onion miso soup, mushroom and tofu miso soup with spring onions, and spicy pepper and mushroom miso soup.  Usually these are soups for one.  Really easy to make, warming, and healthy.
This week I had some leftover rice, which was the inspiration for this.  

I always saute the veggies/tofu first in about tsp. of olive oil or sesame oil.  This time I used 5 porcini mushrooms, a few slices of banana pepper, and 1/2 cup of leftover brown rice.  Cook until mushrooms are soft.

Heat 1 cup of water in tea kettle.  Right before boiling pour it into your bowl and add about 1 1/2 tsp. miso.  I used yellow miso.  Stir until miso is dissolved and add veggies.









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Snowy Afternoon

It's snowing!  Not the first time it has snowed in Oneonta this fall, but the most I've seen land so far.  Just took these pics about 10 minutes ago and already more snow has accumulated.

When my puppy, Owen, came home with us from the Humane Society last January it was snow season.  He loved jumping and playing in the snow then and when I took him outside with me today to take photographs, he raced around the yard.  Here is our buddy, Owen, curiously watching the snow fall, in a rare moment of stillness.

Still snowing as I'm writing this.  Hard to believe that it was bright and sunny this morning.  Not a big fan of cold weather, I do love watching the snowflakes land while sipping a steaming cup of tea.






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A Lovely Time at Alex & Ika Restaurant

I write a weekly restaurant feature on local restaurants in Oneonta and had such a fabulous lunch at Alex and Ika's Restaurant in Cooperstown that I had to blog about it, but haven't had the time until now.
Alex & Ika's is rare find on this side of the Catskills. Not that there aren't some wonderful restaurants in this area, but Alex excels at balancing the fine line between appealing to the gourmand and casual diner. How does he pull this off?
My husband and I sat down with executive chef and owner Alex Webster, his sons Oskar and Lukas, and PR extraordinaire, Elizabeth Huntington, to find out what has made Alex and Ika so successful over the years. He credits a reliable and happy staff, making everything from the
dressings to the soups from scratch, using key ingredients like coarse grain sea salt, and creating an establishment that is family friendly for customers and his own family.
Sure, these things do make a difference. But the food had an attention to detail that isn't common in this area. My eggplant was cooked to perfection, with exactly the right proportion of cheese/sauce/eggplant/breading. Usually I find cheesecake a little garishly rich, but theirs is creamy but not overwhelming. I love that the fingerling potato fries weren't anything you would expect. They were mashed, crispy bites of deliciousness accompanied by a chipolte aioli dip that made ketchup seem overwhelmingly ordinary. And I could rave about the wine and drink list- amazing- but don't have enough space.
The restaurant also has character. Alex is also an artist and it shows. The mirrors and artwork and bar (erected from the wood of an old bowling alley) become part of the visual ingredient necessary to "dining out". There is a reason why I let my husband, Joe, take over as interior decorator at home- he's an artist and knows how to create ambiance.
One last reason to go. Alex and the kids and Elizabeth are incredibly nice people. Oh, and it's vegetarian friendly.

Sunday Trainspotting

Sunday Trainspotting

Trains capture our romantic imagination, like all modes of transportation, because we associate them with freedom and travel.  They also are a culturally significant relic that still exists, while being deemed an outdated technology.  Fountain pens or tobacco pipes are iconic of the past in the same respect.  They exist along more modern technologies like Bic pens and cigarettes, yet have retained their functionality.  

Nearly a year ago my family and I moved to the East End of Oneonta.  Our house overlooks the train tracks and when the leaves fall from the trees we can clearly see the trains go by.  This Sunday, the train stopped for a little while so I ran outside to take some photos.  My neighbors probably thought me a bit strange, but I'm still in love with hearing the whistles of the train and watching the different kinds of train cars travel by.

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DIY Gifting: Part 1, Making Cards with Recycled Materials

If you've read any of the former posts, you know that making cards has become one of my favorite hobbies over the past few months.  I consider myself a writer rather than an artist, although I love art, so this is a wonderful hands-on outlet for me.
I'm creating this tutorial just to give you a few ideas.  Usually I incorporate stamping into the process, but wasn't as inspired today as I've been doing a ton of stamping lately.

First on the list- get something to drink.  I can't get started without chai in the morning.

Then, set up your work area.  Think about what utensils you will need.  For this project I used: scrap paper, card stock, scissors, bone folder, vintage cards, x-acto blades (make sure it is sharp), ruler and cutting mat. 

                                                                          

My husband was nice enough to cut some card stock for me (he's more meticulous than I am).  I buy recycled card stock and envelopes.  You can also buy pre-folded cards.   

Next, look over the materials you have and choose things that catch your eye.  Last week I found some vintage cards at an antique shop that was having a mega-sale.  Cruise garage sales or flea markets- they often have paper that is very inexpensive for crafting.  

I cut out designs, words or pictures that I think would work well.  If I have everything pre-cut and ready to go, then I find it easier to decide what elements I'm going to bring together next.

I have a fondness for retro Christmas decorations and cards, but you may not.  Choose something that suits your style.

Choose your card.  I like to decide what color card I'm going to use before I start putting the pieces together, so I have an idea of what colors work together.  Fold your card (make sure you crease it several times) with the bone folder or back side of a butter knife, if your cards aren't pre-folded.



Place all of the images/text you want to use on the paper (pre-glued) to figure out placement.  Then, get your glue stick!  Be sure to cover back of paper completely.

One of the cards I created today.  For this card, I tore two of the piecesof paper to give the card a more textured look.  The paper with text was cut with scissors from a vintage Christmas card.

My kitty loves kneading and laying on the scrap paper bag.  Every time I get it out he declares it as his own:)










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Blackbird & Peacock

It's official- Blackbird and Peacock are now open for business!  A love of all things paper- journals, letters, pretty paper- helped spawn this new Etsy shop by husband and wife team, Hope and Joe Von Stengel.  The shop will have an eco-friendly edge, as many of the materials used will be recycled or created from recycled  and sustainable materials.
This new venture is a movement outside of the bigbadartcollective shop on Etsy, an opportunity to focus time and energy.  Right now Hope has been getting ready for the holidays by making cards for friends, as well as the shop.  Joe sold quite a few journals at the City of the Hills art festival in Oneonta, NY, so a little catching up and re-ordering supplies has kept us busy was well.
Take a look at our new store- a great place to browse for those with eclectic tastes!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/blackbirdandpeacock