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One of my favorite things about the holiday season is the proliferation of port wine cheese balls. I love everything about port wine cheese, from the mottled color (we grow roses the same color) to that cheesey winey tang! I am lactose intolerant, so there are some issues, but they are all worth it.

The other cheesey thing about this time of year seems to be the amount of open fromage in the fridge: brie, sharp cheddar, gouda, goat cheese, all left over from one function or another. This is an old french recipe/technique for dealing with all of these little bits, and it tastes like a way classier version of my BFF PWCB–minus the nuts.

The easiest use is to spread it on some toasted baguette and broil it as an accompaniment to soup or salad, or even as it’s own hors d’oeuvre. You can spread it on roasted potatoes and broil, fold it into an omelet. It can be served at room temp, so it is soft and spready: smear it on a hot steak or roasted portabellas.  It keeps a few weeks in the fridge.

Combine in a food processor until nice and smooth:

• 1 pound assorted cheese bits (the more the better).
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 cup white wine
• salt and pepper

Be careful when pouring in the wine, or it might end up all over the place.

Really, the more kinds of cheeses, the better: a veiny blue, a sharp cheddar, a buttery brie. Cut any weird or moldy bits off.

Pasteurized processed cold packed cheese flavored food product is not cheese, it is a cheese flavored food product. As a general nutritional rule, you should eschew food products for their real food counterparts.

New pictures of my big super huge mondo gigantic labor intensive project.

Satin stitch and silk floss

Silk floss, mostly satin stitch

Stem stitch

Kantha style

seed stitch

Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995, also know as “The Tent,” is an original work by Briton Tracy Emin. It appears to be a small standard camping tent, but upon entry the viewer sees a series of names appliqued and stitched into the interior. The list encompasses both romantic and platonic sleeping encounters Emin has been a part of. Along with her “Bed,” it is considered one of her seminal pieces, but was unfortunately destroyed in a fire in 2004.

This is what I saw for sale for $55 at the museum shop at the Boston ICA.

Maybe I wouldn’t hate it so much if it attempted to maintain the integrity of the original. Digitized machine embroidery is about as close to hand work as a fruit roll up is to bobbing for apples. The slow nature of the embroidery/applique process is an invitation to ponder each person and experience, both for the creator and the viewer, who has a chance to examine each stitch, each fabric.
This is the brain child of the Art as Art project which also gives a shout out to Dorothy Iannone. Iannone created the the artists book Lists (IV): A More Detailed Than Requested Reconstruction—from The Book of D & D, among them, an illlustrated list of everyone she had ever slept with.

Do you agree? Or are you googling “Emin pillowcase” to see how you can get one of your own? (um…why?)

I saw this in the Boston Institute for Contemporary Art. I am sure I could have stared at it forever, but I had dinner waiting at Wagamama.

Czech Modernism Mirrored and Reflected Infinitely, 2005

This hand-blown glass sits inside a mirrored case with a one-way mirror facing. The viewer can see in, unimpeded by her own visage, to the infinite reflection of the pieces inside.
Josiah McElheny, 2006 recipient of the MacArthur genius grant, has studied under master glassblowers all over the world.

Sorry, Ken, this is a few weeks late.

Dal is any dish made of pulses (dried beans). Traditionally served in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, dal is easy to prepare and doesn’t have to be spicy or require a list of exotic ingredients. I like to purchase my beans and spices from the bulk bins at my local healthy food store.

Heat in a dry soup or sauce pan until they pop

• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds (whole)
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds (whole)

Either chop finely together or in a mini processor, grind the following to a paste. Add to pan and saute with 1-2 tablespoons XV olive oil

• 1/4 cup ginger
• 1/4 cup onion
• 2 Tablespoon garlic (3-4 cloves)
• 1 small hot pepper (optional)

Saute with

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Stir frequently, for 7-9 minutes, then add

• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups yellow lentils
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Bring to a boil and simmer partially covered for about 45 minutes. Stir when you think of it. Towards the end of cooking time, you may need to add more water. This will turn soft and the lentils will break down.

For a variation of this, and heaps more Indian recipes with photo illustration, check out route79.org. A blog about a daily commute on the 79 bus in London, Route 79 has lots of great pictures and Indian food.

Nike: Greek goddess of victory (as pictured above, the statue “Nike of Samothrace” from the Louvre).

Saturn: Roman god of abundance, prosperity and karmic lessons

Fa: (soap and shower products) African Dahomey god of personal destiny

Gaia: Greek goddess of the earth

Hermes: Greek messenger of the gods

Lilith: Middle eastern protrectress of pregnant women

In my quest to have completed hundred and thousands of  embroidered stitches by the end of the year, and a large portion of that by my critique at the end of the week, my poor fingers are suffering. Not only is my finger skin shredded, but my finger tips hurt from repeatedly pushing into a sharp metal object.

Oh sure, you say, “Why don’t you use a thimble?” Because I hate them. They are usually too big and bulky and I can’t get a good grip on my fabric. I have tried a million different styles and none of them worked. I had taken to wrapping my fingers in bandages, which has drawbacks in that the adhesive bits stick out and catch my thread. I tried electrical tape, and although available in a variety of pretty colors, it doesn’t have the flex and stretch I require.

Desperate last night, in pain and needing to produce, I rummaged furiously through my medicine drawer for medical tape where there was none. But owing to some poor footwear choices earlier in the year in Manhattan, I had a box of adhesive moleskin for use on blisters. I cut  two round dots the size of my thumb and foreinger, stuck them on and  VIOLA! all the grip and flexibility and none of the pain. And pretty inexpensive.

Yay happy fingers = hundreds and thousands of stitches

This is the best, easiest granola you can make (and a lot cheaper than what you buy at the store). Change the ingredients for something a little different. You can add dates or raisins or dried fruit after you bake it.

Heat oven to 350. Use the largest roasting pan you can find, the more room, the more evenly it will toast. Mix in the roasting pan:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup honey (molasses okay, maple syrup is too delicate for the expense)

Heat about 5-7 minutes until hot and honey bubbles. In a separate bowl combine:

• 4 cups oatmeal
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup wheatgerm
• 2 Tablespoon sesame seed
• 1 cup nuts (pecan, almond, walnut, cashew)
• 1/2 cup flaxseed

Mix into honey mixture. Bake for 30-40 minutes until toasted. Stir every 10 minutes or so. Let cool before storing in airtight container.

For celiac/wheat free version, substitute puffed rice cereal for oatmeal, eliminate wheat germ.

Try added coconut flakes, cinnamon, grated orange peel.

Next Batch–as you can see, I have been spending my time stitching and not posting.

I: vintage linen napkin applique, needle punch (hate it), fabric paint, chain and running stitch.

J: Applique, satin stitch and a Clean House marathon.

K: turned edge applique, stuffing

I am mostly on target with my one square every three days, and will be pushing especially hard this next week to have heaps of new work for my crit on Thursday.

C: I am so not a fan of crossstitch, but I am a fan of Abby, who lent me DMC 4050 when mine ran out, and also Audrey, who offered hers.

F: applique with silk floss. My F choice was a total no brainer, except the logos are almost anonymous. Any guesses? Hint–it’s a two-fer, I am only showing one.