February love

How do you keep the winter blues away ?

How have you been keeping the winter blues away?
I'm sure I'm not the only one binging online shows, this winter! Two of my faves have been The Repair Shop and Blown Away.  Two little gems where creativity and craftsmanship shine. check them out ;-).  

Talking of being blown away, Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem The Hill We Climb, did just that. What a talented young poet. The poem is now available as a collectible gift edition, from Penguin Random House. Here you can also watch her read her poem Earth Rise about Climate Change written in 2018. 

and...

We were hit with a big Nor'easter the first two days of February. So I got busy in the kitchen and made a big pot of Indian Mulligatawny Soup and watched the snow storm.  I've never made this soup before but it was super easy and I loved it! Here's the recipe,  I added chicken and spinach.

​Indian Mulligatawny Soup

Indian Mulligatawny SoupThis fragrant Indian Mulligatawny Soup is spiced with curry and made from creamy red lentils, carrots, apples, and coconut milk. Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers!

​This recipe is from the Wanderlustkitchen 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter (or olive oil for vegan)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 red jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons peeled and minced ginger root
• 2 small firm apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup red lentils (uncooked)
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2/3 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Roasted cashews for garnish
• Chopped cilantro and/or scallions for garnish

PREP TIME15 minutes
COOK TIME40 minutes

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and jalapeno, then saute for 4 to 5 minutes or until the onions have softened.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, apples, and diced tomatoes to the pot. Saute for another 3 minutes, then add in all of the spices and toss to coat. Add in the lentils and broth and let the contents come to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
3. Puree about 75% of the ingredients using either an immersion blender or by transferring a portion of the contents to the bowl of a standard blender. Leave some of the chunks whole, as it adds a nice texture and consistency to the soup. Return the soup to the pot if needed, then stir in the coconut milk. Taste, and adjust salt and black pepper as needed.
4. Serve topped with cashew and scallions along with naan bread for dipping.

And as It's February...

Two ways to say I love you for Valentines Day

I thought I'd make some print pairings, as a perfect valentine gift for the art lover.

Many of my seascape and landscape prints work well together, but it can often be hard to chose. So I’ve created a gallery of parings showing a few of my favorite matches. Here's one pairing that features a wave and rocky coastline from Acadia National Park, Maine.

View More print parings