Wishing Stones

Someone's stash of wishing stones on North Beach.




-- Posted from my iPhone

Maine

Well it has definitely been way too long since my last posting! I was in Maine for almost 2 weeks teaching a few workshops and then just playing for a while. It seems that I just don't have the energy after teaching all day to post to my blog.

I had a wonderful time teaching at Playing with Fire in Rockland, ME. If you ever get a chance to take a workshop there go for it! Very nice folks over there, and wonderful fun loving students.

This is in Camden, just a short drive up the coast from Rockland. As you can see the leaves were turning making for a beautiful back drop.

How about a room with a view?

Of course I couldn't resist taking a photo of a spiral!

This is the house that Jen Geldard and I are planning a bead retreat at ....... anyone interested in attending?

And what would Maine be without Lobstah's!!!!! Yes I had my fair share of them ........

Well I will try and be better about posting on my blog.... I do post very often on facebook.... so for those of you on facebook you may want to check me out there as well.

Great Day

Well today is my 29th birthday ....... again! Here is what greeted me on this day!

My good friends coming down the tree to greet me.....

This peregrine falcon..... probably not here to greet me but maybe snag a pigeon or two!

Mt. Baker in all of its beauty..

One of the bald eagles that hangs out in our tree.....

One of the many deer that pass through our yard.... they love stopping by and eating our apples

And a beautiful ship passing by.

Hope you are all having a wonderful day as well........

Thanks Kathy!

Thank you Kathy D for my early birthday gift! This is so awesome I had to share with you all! Ever make pizza on your outdoor grill before? Well we hadn't and I had never even heard of doing such a thing till Kathy got me this wonderful gift!

First you get this pizza stone for your grill at William-Sonoma.....

And then of course you will need a pizza peel....... thank you Kathy!

Well this is where it got a bit tricky! Trying to make a round pizza! I thought if I just threw it up in the air a few times it would even out.... well this didn't work for me!

I bought the pizza dough at Trader Joe's. It was awesome!

Our first pizza shape is very strange but let me tell you..... it didn't matter! We put canadian bacon, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms and olives on it...

Before going on the grill....

Half way done......

Finished! It tasted delicious! One of the best pizza's I have had!

Give it a try sometime and let me know what you think... and any of you that have already made these and have some tips for us please let us know them!

On another note ... I really have been working and not just cooking! I will post photos in the next few days!

TOMATOES!

A Few years ago my friend Jennifer Geldard was here visiting and she made these tomatoes for us. I had forgotten how to make them so I asked her for the recipe and just thought I would share them with you! They are so yummy! So here is the recipe along with some photos of the ones I roasted today!

Roasted tomato recipe:

Ingredients:

as many tomatoes as u like
olive oil
salt
pepper
whatever spices you like...I use a garlic mix like Mrs. dash cause I'm lazy.
fresh basil - chiffonade ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiffonade)
goat cheese
baguette

I started making this with small plum tomatoes during the off season, but seeing as all those lovely tomatoes are in season now, you want to cut a normal sized tomato into 3 chunks (each about the size of a small plum tomato). You can also use cherry tomatoes, but the tomatoes shrink when you cook them, and you'll have to use a bunch per serving.... but use whatever you have!

Remove the seeds and liquid... I just squeeze them, and scoop it out with my hands.

Toss the tomatoes in the olive oil, salt, pepper and spices

Spread them out in one layer in a roasting pan

Roast for 3 or 4 hours at 250 degrees. You can shorten this by bumping up the temp to 325 or so....it's still good, just not quite as good.I know that sounds vague- it's always different depending on what tomatoes you use. Just keep an eye on them....they should shrink quite a bit in size, and deepen in color and flavor.....mmmmmmmm.

Remove the pan from the oven and move the tomatoes onto a serving plate. Retain any leftover oil and juices.( the slower you roast the tomatoes, the more juices you'll have) Unwrap a hunk of goat cheese and put it next to the tomatoes.... dribble oil and juices over the goat cheese. Sprinkle the basil over the tomatoes.

Slice the baguette and serve with the tomatoes...... one slice of baguette smeared with goat cheese + a tomato or two on top = heaven.

I have found that I really prefer the yellow tomatoes for this...

sliced and seeded......

seasoned and put in the roasting pan....

roasted......

well I almost forgot to take a photo of the finished product..... by the time I did remember they were almost gone!

Thank you Jen for this wonderful recipe! I hope you all enjoy them and let me know what you think!

another great day....

Well yesterday was another great day here in the PNW. I had decided that I would take the month of August off to just play.... which means playing with silver and lots of bike rides. I have been going for at least a 15 - 20 mile bike ride 4 times a week lately. Most of the rides have been here in Port Townsend. Yesterday my friend Nicole and I decided to take our bikes over to Sequim.... boy do they have a great trail system there! You can ride from Discovery Bay all the way to Port Angeles! Well we didn't do all of that............... yet!

This is at the railroad park in Sequim..... it crosses the Dungeness River.

You can tell fall is coming..... these leaves were just beautiful.....

Another part of our bike ride........

Nicole in the Silo!!!!

Nicole and I both thought that this was a cool silo...... it was kinda weird just being there on the side of the road.

Well we plan on starting on a different part of the trail on our next ride.... I think that this part of the trail will run along Sequim Bay...... not sure but will let you know!

More Earrings

Played around making more earrings today.... been working on a few new designs and different patinas. I was very happy with the way these came out. Let me know what you think.

I still have so many ideas to work on ..... I plan on making a few more pairs tonight! We will see what turns up tomorrow.

Today the weather was perfect.... one of those days that makes all the grey seem worthwhile!