Pierniczki and bigos

I've been shopping today...
Oh, boy!...
Do people really need that much food? I saw a couple in the queue, she was guarding a huge shopping cart full of things up to the brim and he was disappearing among the shelves and bringing more and more jars, packets, boxes!... And one lady even lost a six pack of an expensive Perrier water from her cart on the floor because she stuffed so many items and had to balance the bottles on top of everything else. Total craziness!


I spent my time in the queue and came home to make some delicious things! *^v^*

First of all, gingerbread cakes (can you see the moose shapes? I bought the cake cutter in Karlskrona two years ago! *^v^*)
and kanelbullar - Swedish cinnamon buns (iHanna, you can be proud of me! They passed the husband test! *^v^*).

But the most important thing was bigos.
You may have heard about this one of the most traditional Polish dishes, probably not eaten by any other nation in the world (I think so). Bigos is a stew made from sauerkraut and meat, with lots of spices.
I call my version Bigos 1-2-3, because I always take 1 part of sauerkraut per 1 part of sweet cabbage per 1 part of meat for it.

The recipe goes like this:

In a huge pan mix together:
- 1,5 kg of chopped sauerkraut
- 1,5 kg of chopped sweet white cabbage
- 1,5 kg of different roasted meats (pork, beef, veal, ect), chopped into 1 cm cubes
- 1 bottle of semi dry red wine
- big handful of dried sweet plums
- 8 bay leaves
- 8 black pepper corns
- a big pinch of cumin seeds
- a handful of dried forest mushrooms
- 250 g of butter
- ground pepper and salt to taste

Now comes the best part - bring it all to the boil, cook on a low heat for about 2-3 hours, then cool it off, cover and leave it overnight on a balcony (minus temperatures highly welcome!). Repeat the cooking procedure on the next day, and on the following three or four days! *^v^* On the first day all the flavors are still rather separate, but with every warming up they mix together beautifully!

Bigos gets better and better every time you heat it up again, and it can be eaten for many days, with slightly different taste each time. The legend says that in the XVII c. during Winters Polish noblemen had huge barrels full of bigos in their courtyards and they often sent the cook to chop a bit of it off (it was standing in the frost so it was tough like a stone!) and warm it up for a nice supper after some horse riding in the snow. =^v^=


The last thing I made today was a jar of pickled lemons.They can be used in Moroccan meat dishes or oriental salads with grilled red peppers, olives and olive oil, and they are very easy to make.

For this jar I took 4 lemons to be put inside and 4 lemons for the juice (8 in total). I cleaned each lemon with hot water (of course I left the skin on), then I cut it with a sharp knife as if I wanted to make four quarters but I didn't cut through the top and bottom of the lemon - they stayed whole this way.
Next, I put a lot of salt into each cut (about a tablespoon of salt per lemon) and tucked each lemon tightly into the jar (this one took four lemons).
To finish it off I covered the lemons with fresh lemon juice - they must all stay under the liquid.
Then you put the lid on and leave them for about three weeks. Done! *^v^*

Smacznego! *^v^*

Bottom of the Sea

I usually buy my art supplies online and in my shop they always add a free small (A6) drawing notebook to each order over 15 USD. I collected quite a lot of them and they consist of 10 nicely textured thick white pages (300 g/m2), so I wondered what could be done with them.

I covered 10 of them with watercolor paints and day by day since 8th Dec I've been adding the scenes I've called later "The Bottom of the Sea". They have no other purpose than some drawing and imagination practice! I hope you like them! *^v^*

Books that keep me going

Thank you for your comments on my two cardis, I'm planning to wear the TYC for Christmas supper with my families (three visits in one evening, like every year, yeah...) with brown velvet skirt and orange blouse, I think it'll fit perfectly! *^v^*
Still haven't decided on the next project, but I have some vague ideas, Tudora from the Winter Knitty might be just the one! ^^


100 Day Challenge - day 27
It's already 27 days into my hard work into manifesting all those things that I want in my life, yikes! *^v^*

Today I'd like to share with you two books that I've fished out recently from my vast book collection and decided to read again (I bought them some years ago), I think they are good readings on my 100 Day Challenge path right now.
The first one is Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh. It's all about slowing down, breathing and being right here right now, expressed in simple words that will appeal and get to everybody. I might try to remember this in the rush of my everyday life, when I usually do two or three things at a time - and I don't have to, I have time for everything and the ability in me to devote a separate piece of my time and attention to every activity I perform.
The second book is by a Polish psychologist Anna Dodziuk called "Pokochac siebie i zaczac zyc inaczej" ("Love yourself and start living a different life"). She writes about how from the moment we were born we've been programmed to behave in certain ways by other people (parents, friends, ect), and that we must get rid of all those ideas and start programming our minds to think differently about ourselves, which of course leads to a whole different way of living. (If you cannot read this book in Polish, I recommend the works of Sonia Choquette, she teaches the similar ideas!)


And some of my latest art journal pages:

I was still ill while creating this page.

I made the first batch of gingerbread cakes two weeks ago and they disappeared almost completely, so I prepared a new dough today, baking during the week! *^v^*
(These ones are from the magazine, mine were simpler.)

This page was inspired by the fact that there are two girls in our friends' group that do not like each other. I'm closer with one of them and she talked a lot of bad things about the other, and then I started to get to know her and she's nice. You would have thought it was a kindergarten, while we all are around 30-ties!... ^^
So, well, you know, I thought that it's better to have our own opinions about people than to listen to some badmouthing!

This is the experiment with unusual media (at least for me! ^^) - page painted with coffee and covered with beeswax.

Tomorrow I'll show you my drawing experiments! *^v^*

How we almost bought an oven...

that we didn't need at all!...

This is the story of two people who almost got caught up by the tv commercial. *^v^*

Me and Robert often watch Kuchnia.tv, a cooking channel, and one of the programs is sponsored by the new Samsung oven that has two separate chambers for two different meals baked or grilled at the same time in different temperatures and cooking times. Very high-tech, so we, having in mind next year's planned redecoration of our kitchen, immediately got excited, thought of buying this oven and started looking for its price.
And then it struck us... how often do we really need to bake two completely different meals AT THE SAME TIME? Well, never, to be exact. I often bake or grill meat with vegetables, but that's it, it's one dish. When I bake a cake I always do it way before the dinner, not while making dinner. I'd rather buy a bigger oven with some handy interior like easy-to-access sliding racks, ect.

Good we stopped before we started (spent any money)! The power of the commercials is really strong! *^v^*


Here is the finished Tangled Yoke Cardigan.
I finished it on Sunday and added the buttons on Monday.


I love everything about it - the colour, the shape, the size (I'm glad I knitted the sleeves longer, they fit perfectly). The only thing that is a bit odd is the top part (I'm not sure if it's visible in this picture) - I bought this yarn some time ago on on-line auction from somebody who had a stash of old yarn, and it turned out that one of the four skeins of wool had a slightly different shade of brown... That is why the very top of my cardigan and the button bands look different.
But I'm going to wear it anyway, I love the shape and fit! *^v^*

Here is also my revamped collar on Lucinda - I frogged the hood and made a simple 2x2 rib collar that stands beautifully, and added three buttons. Much more comfortable and functional this way! *^v^*


Okay, so what to knit next?...

Feeling a bit better

Have you seen a new Winter Knitty? *^v^*

My favourites:
Ice Queen - gorgeous!
Three Tams - I might knit more hats in the near future, it seems that my head must be protected from the cold.
Tudora - stylish accessory for your neck.
Halcyon - I like it on the first photo, with some black dress at a party.
Dahlia - cute and girlie. ^^
Aoife - that's pretty but why is it so huge on the model?... It looks at least three sizes too big, I'd make it tighter.
Toirneach kilt hose - nice ones, although I lost my love for the socks some time ago. Hope it'll come back some day! ^^
Jeanie - interesting shawl.

So, quite a lot of favourites. I must finish my TYC (not much to knit, I really want to do it this weekend and finally wear it!), and then I might choose some quick project after the cardigan that takes more time.


Now, I scanned my pencil drawings yesterday so let me proudly present some of my favourite ones (the rest is on my Flickr, there are too many to pack them all here). They were created in the years 1990 - 1995, and then I gradually stopped drawing, I don't know why (I have some pieces that have never been finished).
And they are weird, strange things were happening in my head at that time! *^v^*





Enjoy and let me know what you think! *^v^*

Emptying the cup

This is the Monday page from my journal:


I had so many plans for this week and suddenly all of them had to go on hold... These are the consequences of going out without the hat on, my sinuses refused to work and that was it.
Fortunately I am feeling a bit better today so I decided to write about what I am up to.

100 Day Challenge - day 16

You probably already know this famous Zen strory, but let me quote it here, it's short:

A Cup of Tea

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"

"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

I believe that irrespective of any religious or philosophical beliefs, this story applies to all of us and to every sphere of our existence. In order to receive we have to give (or give up) something, to make space for the new things and ideas to come. So on Sunday I decided to empty my cup and got rid of all the clothes that were:
1. too old and tattered to wear, even around the house
2. too small, let's face it - I won't ever fit in them and seeing them in the wardrobe was too frustrating!
3. not worn at all, of different reasons (not my style, not fitting with any other clothes, ect)

This is the biggest bin liner I found, 120 l, so you can imagine the scale of my cleaning! *^v^*
With this move I'm hoping to gain some physical space for the new fitting clothes but also, or maybe first of all, the emotional space and piece of mind of not being forced to choose from the things I didn't feel comfortable with. Now I can gradually fill my wardrobe with clothes that I will like and wear! *^v^*

Look what I got on Monday! ^^

A postcard from Myriam, who safely arrived to Germany and is now spending time with her family. It was such a nice surprise in the era of e-mails and e-cards to get a proper paper postcard I could hold in my hand (it's on my fridge right now)!

Now I can feel I need some rest so I'm off to bed for a while, but one more thing before I go - if you're interested in my latest paintings (or any other paintings), they didn't sell on ebay so I moved them to my etsy.

Keep warm!

Art journal again

I realized I haven't posted any of my journal pages here, so let's see some of them:

First, a Paradox page for the Inspire Me Thursday prompt. It says: "I don't like people but I want people to like me. Is it possible?" Yes, that's the paradox in me.


And now the rest of the finished pages, I'll just flood you with the images, they speak for themselves.


Also, I'm happy to announce that I found my pencil drawings and I'll be scanning them this weekend! *^v^*

I got rejected and it feels okay

100 Day Challenge - Day 10

Yes. I got rejected today and it feels fine. Which is strange because I am a drama queen and I would expect myself to be gloomy for the rest of the week. But I'm not . *^v^*

I applied to the Trunkt. I thought it would be a great place to let people know about my paintings. They very politely answered that they've received many talented artists' applications every week and this time they were sorry but couldn't accept mine. Which generally means "Errr... nope."
And I didn't feel like the ceiling just fell on my head and didn't take my paintings to the garbage bin, and I don't hate them at Trunkt. I just thought - well, maybe it's not for me, maybe, it's too early for my works, I need more practice, maybe it wasn't meant to be this time. Let's carry on. And try in a month's time, yeah! *^v^*

Something is changing inside me! =^v^=

Plus, I had a really nice conversation with an old lady in a brush shop this morning. I generally don't chat to people, just buy what I need and go out, but this time I wasn't in a hurry and her granddaughter just left Poland to spend 6 months in India on a collage project, so she was a bit nervous and described me her living quarters (with the Internet access but a toilet in a form of a hole in the floor...), and all her collage faculties (she had three going), and the lady looked really pleased she could share it all with somebody.
It's nice to stop for a moment and talk to people, it gives you the warm fuzzies inside (and Winter is coming, mind you!) *^v^*

BTW, we have a progress with my mother's opinions on my painting - I showed her all the canvases and explained the English words appearing there, and she said she liked the Cooking Girl best, and that I paint in a modern style (whatever that means) . That's more of an opinion than just: "Funny." *^v^*

Unichorn, I remember about the pencil drawings, I just cannot find them anywhere!... I've looked today and I'll keep looking for them, they must be some place, keep reminding me about them! *^v^*

For a living

What a blissful weekend! *^v^*
On Friday night Robert left for a medieval battle recreation and wasn't home till Sunday morning, which meant I was home alone two nights (which I hate), but which also meant I set up my studio on the living room table right away and worked on my paintings on Friday night and all Saturday (plus I did the laundry, washing up and painted two t-shirts for Robert using his old stencils, knitted my TYC and reached the cable part and also changed the hood on my Lucinda Cardi into a neat collar, still need three buttons to add).

100 Day Challenge - day 9
I said that I wanted to paint for a living. Which has a double meaning in my case.
First of all, of course it means money - selling my works and buying bread and butter, and paints and yarn, and sour jellies, and sushi on the night out! *^v^*
But also, or maybe more importantly, it means - for a living, so I could feel alive.

I haven't been doing it for a long time now, but unlike with my other crafts - I'm learning more and more with every piece I paint, I'm always open-minded about it and not scared when I sit down to a blank canvas, I truly enjoy the whole process, I don't want to give up in the middle when something goes not exactly to the plan (you should see me sewing something...). I'm ready to experiment. It gets me going. I buy four canvases and in my mind they are already filled with ideas the moment I pay for them. *^v^*

Painting is my meditation. I spend hours and hours on every piece, using brush number 00 and taking with each dip an amount of a paint the size of a pin head, and drawing a line 3 mm long, and it goes on and on. You thought I make those swirly black frames with some stencil, a stamp or a picture transfer - nope, all done by hand, millimeter by millimeter. It goes back to the times when I was making many medieval manuscript copies for our meetings, and they all had millions of tiny ornaments to be painted this way. And when I paint those lines and swirls, I switch off almost completely and concentrate on what I'm doing. I even observed - this sounds stupid, but it's true - that my level of concentration is so deep I really have to recall myself to draw a deep breath from time to time because I forget to breath... One day I will choke and this will be my biggest masterpiece! *^v^*

A handful of other tips and observations from my painting experience:
- you can say goodbye to a brush if you don't clean it right after you used it, acrylics dry out to stone in a few minutes time!...
- as above, acrylic medium also dries out to stone in a few minutes time, it's an acrylic after all (who would have thought?...)!
- the best way to clean your brush after varnishing is to use hot water and some Timotei Bamboo&Shea Butter shampoo *^v^* (not too good for my hair though)
- yes, you can also use turpentine
- turpentine works great to smear the oil pastels
- turpentine smells like hell, although it smears the oil pastels well, which means that my art journal now smells like hell...

Okay, now a bunch of my new paintings.

"Be Brave" is a tribute to Krissie's "One Thing Be Brave" idea.
"Dream"
"Sacred""Red Hot", my favorite of the lot.In the last two I applied the glazing darker color over the lighter background technique from the book by C. Hellmuth, I love the results you can achieve with this technique! ^^

They are all on my ebay now, so please take a look if you like them.

In fact, for goodness sake, people, start buying my art because I have no space to store them!... Please?...
(Is this the lamest marketing strategy or what?... *^v^* But it's true, I may have to switch from canvases to canvas boards soon, they are thinner so more can fit into a space of a single canvas, but I don't like working with them that much. *sigh*)

Collage Discoveries

I promised you the review of the "Collage Discovery Workshop" by Claudine Hellmuth, so here it is - it's gorgeous! *^v^*

No, it's not the end of what I have to say about this book although it pretty much wraps up my opinion.

First of all, Claudine Hellmuth is my kind of artist. "She enjoys the challenge of working with a variety of materials and cutting, pasting and painting her artwork by hand." - it says in the description of the author. And later she advises: "Add more color with your fingers. Fingers are my favorite tools, Don't be afraid to use them!" I love working with my fingers and I always use them, no matter what media I'm working with (and then I walk around with paint on my fingers that wouldn't come off, sigh... good I didn't choose oil paints as my primary medium!^^), touch is my first and most important sense. *^v^*

The book is divided into clear sections, describing basic tools and techniques, ways to create interesting backgrounds, making image transfers, working with beeswax and antiquing objects. Then there are chapters describing the composition of a collage, miniature assemblages and ways to experiment. All this sumptuously illustrated with clear step-by-step photos and great works by Claudine herself.

I finished reading the first chapter about backgrounds and I already learned a lot (and applied some of it in my new painting ^^)! Then I went on and I'm so eager to experiment with caulk and beeswax!... It even seems that I can get here in Poland most of the tools and media recommended in the book (even the heat gun and a special triangular quilt iron! ^^).
I didn't go to any art schools or courses, so books like this are a great source of knowledge and technique for me.
I wasn't sure whether I should buy this book because for me buying on Amazon.com is rather expensive, with the shipping costs to Poland being more than half the price of the book itself, but now I'm sure it was a good investment in my future painting career. Second book by Mrs. Hellmuth, "Collage Discovery Workshop: Beyond The Unexpected" is already on my Wishlist as well as some more books that look like a good help to develop my creative techniques. *^v^*