2 Things Challenge: Cloud/Up

Clouds from summer storms coming through Colorado, in early July.

Here is a young Pigpen, up a tree on Blackberry Farm. My Aunt Sue took this photo of Piggy.

And at this site, I found pictures of a life-size replica of the little old couples' house from the movie Up. I saw it in the theater with a friend, it was a cute story. Can't believe someone liked it THIS much though!

2 Things Challenge: Bubbly/Flat

My sparkling beverage of choice this evening.

My hubby's bubbly.

My favorite flatbread crackers EVER. Add some hummus, a wedge of brie cheese, carrot and celery sticks, and you've got the perfect bento lunch.

Newman, my Newman

No, not this Newman.

Not that Newman.

This was my Newman. Reading about Grey German Giant buns for the last 2 Things Challenge got me thinking about him. He was a chinchilla gray Flemish Giant rabbit. And an adorable goofball. He loved to have fun. The first night I let him stay outside his pen all night long, I woke up with a giant bun face in mine. He was so pleased with himself, he did a giant binky right off the bed.

This is the face Newman made the first and last time he tasted kiwi.

Here he is passed out under the covers...

...after stealing my seat.

Little Bean and Newman almost became housemates. Look how much smaller she is!

Aw, shy on a first date!

Newbs and his Dumboesque ears.

Chillin'.

Newbie enjoying a good meal.

Zonked.

Still zonked.

Snoozin' Newbs.

2 Things Challenge: French/German

For this week's challenge theme I choose....bunnies. I found this adorable little cutie over at the French lop page on the Petscharm blog.

And here is a Grey German Giant bunny. Found this clydesdale sized lagamorph over at the interesting Creepy Animals site. For the record, giant bunnies are NOT creepy, just more to love! My first bun, Newman, was a Flemish Giant. He was a decent size, but nowhere near as big as this rabbit!

African Stew

Dinner tonight was my version of African Stew. I used three chopped chicken breasts which I poached in broth, added two tomatillas and a ripe mango that have been sitting in my fruit bowl all week, used organic creamy PB, and skipped the chickpeas cuz I thought the chicken and PB sauce was plenty of protein. Pretty simple and easy to tinker with. This would work great with chunky diced seitan or firm tofu for a vegetarian version. Soooooo yummy! And I stopped by The Denver Bread Company (on my way to the print shop to finalize the wedding invitations) so there was fresh fantastic locally made bread to go with it.

2nd photo taken from The Denver Bread Company's home page.

Sea or sky?

2 Things Challenge: Art/Graffiti

ART: This is one of the Helga Pictures, entitled Farm Road, painted by Andrew Wyeth in 1979. Look at the use of light, and the sharp and blended images. My folks took us to see the Helga Pictures at the Canton Art Museum years ago. I was haunted by the images for a long time after seeing them. I remember wondering what it would be like to be a painter's muse, to be preserved the way a particular person sees you, during a particular moment. To be interpreted. Immortality of a kind.

"Popular art is the dream of society; it does not examine itself." - Margaret Atwood

GRAFFITI: I found these photos from Denver by graffiti artist Emit, on Fatcap.

Oatmeal Experiments

I'm going to have to come back to this, recipe-wise. I was throwing this and that in the blender earlier (frozen mangoes, some leftover ripe banana, the last of the Alder's strawberry ice cream, a couple big spoonfuls of nonfat vanilla yogurt, some milk, some ice, and oat bran) and wasn't paying attention to measurements. My brother made me a blueberry smoothie with oats when I was visiting Ohio last November and it was the best breakfast I'd had in a long time. Hit the spot and filled me up. So I decided to use up the last of the oat bran in this batch. And guess what? Manbearcat, husband of Mouse, has approved it! FINALLY a way to get my husband to eat oatmeal! Make it drinkable!

AND as a second experiment: Frozen Oatmeal! Fruit and Oatmealsicles. Oat Pops. Whatever. I used my washable popsicle mold. Ta da! Really yummy and a great way to use leftover smoothie.

You can go HERE for more popsicle recipes at About.com. Popsicle with the mold still on.

They peel off very easily, they're durable and are dishwasher safe. I read some reviews about this popsicle mold before I bought it and was warned it can cause giggle fits in adults with a certain sense of humor. You be the judge.

Used popsicle mold:

Independence Day