GAZPACHO

So my new summer goal is to learn how to cook...and by that I mean more than just being about to saute some veggies in a frying pan and put them over rice or pasta. To start off my cooking adventures I decided to make gazpacho. It is cold, fresh, healthy, and doesn't require actual cooking. 

After searching for good recipes for about an hour, I decided to make a hybrid of a few that I found. Here is the recipe and a few pictures! 

Ingredients:

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, and chopped

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 red onion, diced

1 red pepper, seeded and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 tbsp diced parsley

2 tbsp diced fresh chives

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp sugar

tobasco sauce, to taste

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups tomato juice

Begin by cutting an x at the bottom of the tomatoes and dropping them into a large pot of boiling water for about 15 seconds. Then immediately place them in an ice bath to cool. (This will make is really easy to peel the skin off the tomatoes.) Then, chop all of the ingredients and using a food processor combine them to achieve your desired texture. 

{It takes awhile to chop everything, it is definitely worth seeding everything to eliminate excess water}

Add the liquid ingredients, tobasco, salt and pepper to taste.

{I highly recommend having some fresh bread to dip as well!}

ENJOY!

APPLE PIE

For the last few years I have always had a special birthday request from my (now) brother-in-law, and that was for me to bake him an apple pie. So in keeping with tradition, I made him an apple pie this weekend when I was down in Baltimore. (Luckily the whole family was there to enjoy it as well!)

The first time I attempted to make an apple pie, I found this Martha Stewart Apple Pie Recipe. I must say, it is so easy and so tasty...even the pie crust recipe is super easy to make, and so much better than store-bought pie crust. 

And since I can't take credit for the recipe...here are some pictures of the process! 

Enjoy!

{making the pie crust}

{peeling and chopping the apples...I use 6-7 apples instead of the recipe's 12}

{filling the pie}

{ready to bake}

{fresh from the oven}

{mmm...always better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream}

A IS FOR ANIMAL ALPHABET PRINTS...PART 1

Lately I have been having some printmaking withdrawal, so I decided it was time for a new project. Combining my love for linoleum and drawing animals, I've decided to do an animal alphabet series. Here are some of the drawings that I have started. 

{Q is for Quail}

{C is for Chicks}

{D is for Deer}

Stay tuned for more drawings and process work!