wow.

yeah.  checkin' out one of my favorite blogs today (the bottom of the ironing basket) which always has beautiful things to look at it; yesterday's post caused pause for thought.  

cooking class collage for rachel

the artist...Michael Stearns, who opened his studio in Long Beach, for our cooking class.  He LOVES color!  Some of his paintings and a hanging sculpture can be seen in this pic (he was working on a painting during our class)...

Elizabeth Whitt (Le Cordon Bleu trained chef)...love her relaxed, educational style...filled with awesome dishes and complementary wines and champagnes...

mushrooms and asparagus for the roasted mushroom and asparagus tart...

the tart in process...

loved the colors of dinnerware...they matched his artwork...

crostini for the goat cheese crostini with strawberries, basil and balsamic reduction...

yum....strawberries for the crostini...

flank steak grilling for the grilled flank steak with sun dried tomato pesto with goat cheese crumbles on crostini...oh yeah...i guess there was crostini for this too

okay...this might have been my favorite...marinated shrimp with thai dipping sauce...wonderful!

me and diana...knowing you would have loved being surrounded by art while cooking, Rachel.  :)

sunshine.

i let the puddins out the back gate to snack on this tall grass.  i always love how the sun shines through the tall blades of grass and the wind gently blows the whispy stalks before the seeds are ready to fly.  

everything is illuminated..

finally watched the movie "everything is illuminated" (with elijah wood)...  loved it.  thank you, rachel...it is now among my favorites.   :)


http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3936682265/

Summer in April...

even though I prefer overcast, drizzly days to typical sunny California days...I have to admit, it was a beautiful California day...clear, sunny, warm.  Lovely.