Finding Peace by Making War is not the Answer

Bloggers will unite today in a global cry for peace.

A photograph can speak louder than words.

 

http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/blogblast-for-peace-dona-nobis-pacem

 

Grizzly Bear Cub Poses for the Camera while Mom watches

I had been snowed in for a few extra days while in Kantishna Alaska (90 miles interior Denali) and we were attempting driving out between storms. While rounding an outside curve suddenly this Grizzly momma bear and her cub pulled themselves up into the road just mere feet in front of us. We figured the cub was about 2 or 3 days out of the den. We were its first car/humans and as we screeched trying to halt and stay on road, the baby actually stood on its hind legs and threw its front legs straight into the air shaking paws very fist like and it squealed! The mom ignored everyone/everything (thank god) and lumbered a few feet away to dig roots. I missed the standing 2 legged shot because I was too in the moment of it all, shaking and laughing at the baby’s surprise.

Then it began to snow hard and they melted away into the vast whiteness . . .

See more images of this mom and her curious cub at http://www.belladaze.etsy.com

I wish all Americans could share this experience. It gives you a special awareness about the need to balance all things, and to live and let live.

Bear Photo UPDATE:

This week two different etsy artisans have selected my bear photos to be included in their etsy treasury lists! Wow, I am so appreciative to have my work featured this way. (I was honored by one who is also a photographer.) So next time you visit etsy.com be sure to look at the shops owned by SewnNatural and milemarker. I like their talents as much as they like mine.

http://www.SewnNatural.etsy.com

http:www.milemarker.etsy.com

 

A Surprise Gift Package arrived from an Etsy Artisan yesterday!

Last week I was exploring my life online as an etsy shop owner. Being a new shop means I still have much to learn, so I was cruising through other shops and leaving ‘hearts’ as tracks for favorite creative places I came across. I like to do this periodically because all the creative dazzle totally puts me in the mood to get myself busy in the studio. I am very responsive to color and texture, and the creative writing describing each artisans wares.  I have a rule and try to limit such a session to about 30 minutes so the time feels constructive rather than overwhelming. This session I looked at 12 shops, retreating with many exciting visions of sugar plums.

Koyaanisqatsi pronounced Koh yahn i skaht si

The next time I signed in to etsy I found 3 great notes from other shopkeepers.  One was a very thoughtful note from an artist, who calls her shop Koyaanisqatsi. Julie Agee informed me I was the 100th person to take time to favorite or heart her shop. In celebration Julie asked for my permission to send me a gift item she had created.

As promised, Julie’s  gift to me arrived at my postal box. The orb is so lovely I decided to take a moment and share it here. I also plan to continue the tradition Julie has so generously shared with me. Visit my belladaze.etsy.com and expect a gift if you are my 100th person to favorite my shop!

More About Julie:

I create a wide variety of items: from airbrushed glass, to pen and ink prints; recycled vine quotes to greeting & note cards; collage and assemblage to glycerin soaps and items custom made especially for you! This is a celebration of color on glass. Due to the unusual creative process, variety of inks used, and shape of the glass – results can be manipulated but never planned. Therefore, no two are ever alike nor can a design ever be replicated! Each is unique and one-of-a-kind! “Julie’s Balls” are airbrushed glass “ornaments”. A variety of paints, inks are airbrushed onto different shapes and sizes of clear glass “ornaments”. Each is signed by the artist, is tagged and is gently packaged in a gift box protected with re-purposed, shredded paper. NOTE: NO TWO ARE EVER ALIKE.

REMEMBER: These are not just for the holidays! They can be displayed throughout the year! (try a display hanger, or hang from ribbon or fishing line)

I also found this great quote at Koyaanisqatsi:

“What art offers is space – a certain breathing room for the spirit.” John Updike

Visit more of  Julie’s art:   http://www. Koyaanisqatsi.etsy.com

Visit my art at http://belladaze.etsy.com

Julie, you made a difference in my life today. Thank you.  ~Kris Tabor

 

Easy Fruit Crisp Recipe – an old fashioned favorite

Old Fashioned Fruit Crisp

This makes a great simple desert to serve guests who are allergic to wheat. I have made this recipe using different fruits;   rhubarb, blueberries, blackberries, pears, apples, peaches. Take your pick or mix them up! So delicious your family and friends will expect you to make it often for them.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Mix together:

6 cups of bite size fruit

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons corn starch

3 tablespoons water

Spray a glass 9×9x2 pan with a product like PAM.

Evenly distribute the fruit mix in the pan.

Topping:

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup flour (or substitute tapioca flour for wheat sensitive folks)

1 cube room temperature butter

2/3 cup oats (I prefer old fashioned rolled oats)

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Mix topping and spread over the fruit layer. Bake 1 hour at 325 degrees. It will be bubbly and brown but do not let it burn.

Serve warm with ice cream.

 

Marlon Brando Mural Boldly Embelishes Roslyn WA Home

I love small towns and since my Canon camera is almost permanently attached to my body, I carry home as much of small town America as possible.

A trip to Roslyn Washington could fill an album all by itself! But this mural of Brando stood high above all the other great images I found. Northern Exposure fans will recall Roslyn was the true setting of the hit television series. We had lunch at The Brick and added our own commentary in front of Chris in the Morning radio set.

One of my favorite moments of the day was meeting a photogenic border collie. Her owner came outside to talk when the pooch tried getting into my car, then we spent 40 minutes getting a first hand rundown of what it is like living in Roslyn, both yesterday and today in North Central Washington. He had a corral in the backyard and kept their horses in town. I loved it when he pointed out a trailhead across the street. His wife saddles up and can ride forever immediately outside their back door!

Note to potential Roslyn or Enumclaw visitors:

Reserve your motel ahead of time! This part of the world locally closes up about 7 PM. There are no motels in Roslyn. We got the last available room in nearby Enumclaw and there were 6 groups standing in line out the door behind us. The train track was merely a few feet beyond the motel parking lot. That did not turn out to be an issue, but the parked refrigerator semi truck rumbling outside/under our room meant we paid a lot of money for a place we could not sleep, so it made for an expensive place to shower. Probably the earliest I have ever checked out of a room!

 

reBlog from rtfitch.wordpress.com: Straight from the Horse's Heart

The American West faced another ugly chapter when the Bureau of Land Management got into the business of wild horse removal this week.

The CloudFoundation blog also has an updated call to action plan that I urge you to participate in. It will only take a moment of  your day. Look for it midway down the first page. There is still work to be done, such as making calls asking for the older horses to be released.

I found this fascinating quote today:

And while a deep silence lay over the witnesses, Cloud, the leader, the master of the mountains turned from the gate and took a stance starring back directly at his aggressor, the helicopter.  His intent was obvious, his message was clear, his point was well taken and a few quite sobs were heard within Cloud’s family of human followers.  He made his stand, then turned and walked towards the gate.  He had done all he could do, the observers had tried all that they could and collectively the humans and horses knew that they had lost all control, their future and fate was no longer in their hands, Cloud’s family was to be ripped apart and all that remained for them was a few final moments of togetherness, a gentle touch, while they huddled in fear against the gate that lead to their group’s destruction.  Their cries intermingled with those from their human friends high above who felt their loss and shared their helplessness, they cried together and bowed their heads.rtfitch.wordpress.com, Straight from the Horse’s Heart, Sep 2009

You should read the whole article written from on-site observers perspective.

 

Today Fall Dipped into Valleys Surrounding Mt Hood Oregon

Fall made a foggy, drifting  appearance in valleys throughout Oregon this weekend.

My photo of river valleys surrounding Mt. Hood tells the story perfectly.

Happy Labor Day Weekend! ~ Kris Tabor

 

Flavorful Tomato Pie; easy but not an ordinary recipe

I enjoy cooking and delight in sharing easy recipes that get really big raves! ~Kris Tabor

Tomato Pie Recipe

Tip: Caramelizing the onions while you prepare the other ingredients will add even more flavor, but you will want to double the onions to equal one cup if you add this step. If you are short on time or not familiar with the technique, this pie is still wonderful without caramelizing the onions.

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch pie crust shell (if you can not make a homemade dough Marie Callendar frozen shells are probably next best)
• 1/2 sweet onion peeled/chopped -Walla Walla’s or Vidalia (any yellow or red onion will do)
• 3-4 large tomatoes, heirloom varieties are my favorite for this – cut in half horizontally then squeeze to remove excess juice, roughly chop. Tomato sizes vary so keep in mind approximately 3 cups chopped tomatoes is your goal.
• 1/4 cup sliced green basil or thai baisl (that is about 10 stacked large leaves – roll together like a fat pencil and thinly slice)
• 2 cups grated cheese (use any combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, or Mozarella or Gruyere)
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon (or more to taste) of  your favorite hot sauce (yes you can use Tabasco)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie shell in oven and brown until lightly golden, 8-10 minutes.

Note: A frozen crust needs to cook it a little longer. If you are using a homemade crust, first freeze the crust, then line the crust with aluminum foil and pre-bake it for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown.

2 Squeeze as much moisture as you can get out of the chopped tomatoes using a potato ricer, or  paper towels. A clean dish towel can also be used.

3 Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with chopped onion, raw or caramel. Spread the chopped tomatoes evenly over the onions. Sprinkle the sliced basil on top of the tomatoes.

4 In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce, and a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. This mixture will be gooey so use a spatula to spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes. This rich cheese mix takes the place of a top crust.

5 Place in the preheated oven and bake until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes.

Serves 6.

Add a simple green salad ~ sit back and listen to the compliments!

 

Favorite Roma Tomato Recipe: Slow Baked – Freeze for Winter Freshness

It is time to pack favorite summertime foods into jars and freezer bags if you want to serve healthy old-fashioned flavor to your family this winter.

Rated EASY ~ The following process is so simple even non-cooks can do it!

Here’s the scoop how to create fresh tomato flavor that you can serve all winter long:

Look for Roma tomatoes – others are simply too watery. Cut about 20 Roma tomatoes in half. (Some people call them plum or Italian tomatoes. They are the stocky un-round ones that are fleshy rather than juicy.)

Mix your favorite herbs in a few tablespoons of olive oil (I prefer extra virgin). Gently turn the tomatoes in the oil mix until they are coated evenly. Now slow cook for 8 to 10 hours at 200 degrees. Ovens vary but you can safely ignore them for the first 7 hours, then start checking to be sure not to burn them. The aroma will drive you crazy so don’t be surprised when everyone begins to gather in the kitchen to see what you are doing! In other words, try to do a large enough batch to make sure you have plenty left to freeze for winter use. You will be adding these to almost everything you can imagine ~ stews and soups, any meat, rice and pasta, crackers and bread with crumbled cheese.

Being creative is the secret of great cooks!

20 Roma – Plum type tomatoes  (using uniform size tomatoes ensures they all will be done at the same time)

2 T olive oil, plus a little extra to oil the baking pan if you don’t have a mister for that

Mix Herbs into the olive oil: Use a base of 2 Tablespoons each of dried basil, marjoram and oregano.
Then add different combination’s of herbs -garlic, thyme, sage, red pepper flakes. (This is another opportunity to be creative.)

Gently turn the Roma’s in the seasoned oil mix and place a single layer on oiled cookie sheets or glass baking dish. Slow bake at 200 for 8-10 hours. Cool completely.  Flat freeze in freezer bags – be sure to push out as much air as possible from the bag before sealing.

Warning:  No matter what volume of slow baked tomatoes you freeze, it will never be enough!

 

reBlog from rtfitch.wordpress.com: Straight from the Horse's Heart

I found this fascinating quote today:

The Pryor Mountain wild horses are descendants of the Lewis and Clark horses who were stolen by the Crow Indians in the early 1800’s. George Reed, Secretary of Cultural Education for the Crow Tribe Executive Branch, wrote in 2006: “We advocate preserving our heritage, culture and language, and these Pryor wild horses are part of our culture.”rtfitch.wordpress.com, Straight from the Horse’s Heart, Aug 2009

You should read the whole article.

Sec. of the Interior Ken Salazar
Call: 202-208-7351

President Obama
Call: 202-456-1111

BLM Director Bob Abbey: Call 202-208-3108

http://www.thecloudfoundation.org