Salad of the Week: Lentils with Basil & Polenta

So it's more of a side dish than a salad, but I figure the definition blurs when you put anything on a bed of greens! Either way, a test group and one daring boyfriend have confirmed that Lentils with Basil & Polenta is "really good!" Here goes this super fast and easy recipe...

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more to brush

1 package Trader Joe's Lentils (fresh and found in the produce department)

3/4 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh Basil leaves

1 roll ready-to-serve Polenta (any flavor except cilantro, in specialty or natural food grocery isle)

A couple handfuls fresh Baby Greens

Fresh cracked Pepper & Sea Salt to taste

Crumbled Feta Cheese

Polenta

Brush slices of polenta and saute or bake as directed on package. When complete, cut into cubes (round slices are also nice served around edge of platter). Set aside.

Lentils

In a large pan, drizzle 2 teaspoons olive oil. When warm, add entire package of lentils (separated) and grape tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium-low until tomatoes start to soften. Remove from heat and gently mix in basil and polenta.

On a platter, spread a bed of fresh baby greens and top with lentils and polenta. Finish with crumbled feta and fresh basil, and garnish with a sprig of basil.

A fresh side dish great year round served hot or cold (and great with shrimp)!

body+soul's: Better Bling

If you haven't already come across the recent article titled Better Bling in body+soul's March 2008 magazine, it's a brief, but to the point read worth taking a gander at. A guide to the eco-conscious consumer, Better Bling takes a reveling look beyond the veil to explain where precious metals, diamonds, and colored gems are sourced; how they are accessed and who is working to unearth them. Many in the jewelry industry are aware of the issues surrounding the materials we use, but often the consumer is left in the dark about the all-to-frequently horrific history of their jewelry. This article puts it all out there in not too vague terms and offers alternatives such as purchasing from eco-conscious jewelers who use metals and stones that are recycled and/or ethically sourced (!), recycling old jewelry, and buying estate jewelry. Most importantly, Better Bling encourages the consumer to request information about the source of the materials used in their jewelry stating that by demanding information, consumers can start a trend that initiates change. Links to industry resources as well a selection of eco-friendly jewelers are also provided. Go to the body+soul website to see a gallery of more eco-jewelry.

Oprah & All Her Cash

I worked in the "studio" (a.k.a. the basement) this past weekend and it felt so good. After getting everything laid out just right; you know, so the left-handed things are on the left, the right-handed things are on the right, and then got everything labeled (sad, but true), I got to work on some jewelry. It's been a long time coming, but there were some very important things to focus on first. Now that I'm up and running I plan to get some experimental pieces done to see what direction I'm able to go in this new space... I've been playing around with some previous castings and hope to have some photos in the next few days. I say "hope" because this is not the full-time gig... not until Oprah comes across my flickr site (yeah, right!) and realizes she absolutely MUST have one of my pieces (or several!), which she wears everywhere, and then decides to order in bulk to give away to all her friends and her studio audience. One can dream, right?

Salad of the Week

I recently started drizzling smoked sesame oil over cubed beets after trying and loving them at a party. Since then I've been adding them to everything, but am particularly intrigued with combining the beets with crumbled goat cheese and toasted almond slivers or pine nuts. I came up with the following salad for dinner last night and it's already a favorite...

Mixed baby greens or spring mix

Cubed baby beets drizzled with smoked sesame oil

Crumbled goat cheese or feta... yum!

Lightly toasted almond slivers or pine nuts until golden

Halved grape tomatoes

Halved and pitted kalamata olives

Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

I loved it dry with no dressing, lemon juice, or additional oil, but that may be good too. Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

1.29.08 One-A-Day-Challenge by imogeneANDannie

I hope you all had a very nice Valentine's Day and were surrounded by the special people in your life. We had a family room "campout": take-out on the floor with a flashlight only policy in effect, followed by s'mores in the fireplace. We then got comfy in a small tent on the floor with tons of pillows and watched the movie "Frida" on DVD in celebration of the recent and upcoming Frida Kahlo related Delaware Art Museum and Philadelphia Museum of Art exhibitions. When the festivities were over, I got the best compliment ever: "there's no one I'd rather be stranded in the family room with!" It was so wonderful I just had to share. Now I'm longing for springtime to really get out there...

Check out imogeneANDannie's lovely heart with lady pendent above. This is one of several One A Day Challenge pieces Annie has been working so diligently on. Perhaps that is something I need to think about...

Conflicted. What is Enough?

Reverence

Whitney J. Marsden

Copper, sterling silver, nickel, bumble bee

2005

So we all have a responsibility to do our part for the environment, right? That much we know, but how far do we go? Are you on top of the basics like recycling, being more energy efficient, or perhaps you have a fuel efficient car? Or do you go above and beyond with a more proactive approach? Perhaps you research sources of materials, buy from companies that have similar ideals, write your congresspeople about environmental issues, get involved in the community to have a greater impact, or perhaps you pass the message along by educating others. The question: "what is enough?" plagues me both as a citizen of the human race and as a craftsperson. It is now when I'm at the pinnacle of pursuing my goals that I find myself evaluating my methods.

As artists and designers, we never want to compromise our vision over something so like materials. The idea is to do it the way it is meant to be. However, as manufacturers, is it not our responsibility to always produce in an ethical manner? Materials, tools, and equipment used in creating our work are all involved in the end result of what we create. Regarding this, there are many questions that come up for me... Is it enough to dispose of jewelry making acids, chemicals, and gasses in an environmentally friendly manner or is the pure fact that I'm using them creating more unnecessary waste? Do we as jewelers have a responsibility to consider the sources and methods of acquiring our metals, stones, and other jewelry-making materials (a big one for me)? For that matter, is creating jewelry and other potentially disposable crafts wasteful? What is a realistic contribution to make amidst busy lives and other commitments? Should we strip our lives down to the barest necessities to make the lightest impact in order to get by? I don't think so. There has to be a compromise where creating good design in an ethical, environmentally aware manner contributes, rather than takes away (more about this another time). Then there's the endless amount of people out there who are not doing anything positive for the environment either for lack of education, resources, or caring... what is our responsibility in regards to them?

As a craftsperson, my personal aesthetic is affected by my background and upbringing, my personal interests and hobbies, and a subconscious absorption of the trends around me. My commitment to myself is to honor who I am as a artist and to not create things simply because...

I suppose depending on the person, to create can be very personal, it can be a means of communication, or a bit of both. If communication though, what importance is the message? I create because I love to, but I share it because I hope 1) it will make someone smile because they enjoy it, and 2) it will provoke thought about things in a simpler, more natural way, and perhaps connect people to nature, even just for a moment. I'm not so naive or arrogant to think that what I make will change a life or the world, but making is what I enjoy so I ought to be conscious of my message, whatever that may be. After all, if I'm going to say it, why not SAY IT?! Perhaps opening oneself up for criticism is too much. Perhaps.

Change is often difficult and dare I say inconvenient, especially after we've been doing things the same way for so long. I hope for radical change in the way we as a country handle these issues because I feel it's necessary right now, but to what extent am I willing to go, I'm not sure yet. At this point, what I do in my personal life and what I create as an artist is one in the same. Therefore my goal in all aspects of my life, is to be educated and not turn my head in light of "knowing better" for simplicity or ease. I know I'll make mistakes and I know I'll also need to make compromises, but I'm learning and I'm committed. I hope to find that middle ground between absolute sacrifice and living a productive, enjoyable life.

Please express your thoughts on what you think our responsibility is either as a comment here or an entry on your own blog. Thanks for reading my thoughts, I looking forward to reading what you have to say.

Good Gracious.

Sorry for the music plug, but I just cannot help myself... Radiohead's Scotch Mist has been playing non-stop in the background for the past several days. If you haven't listened, it is ohh sooo gooood. Check it out on YouTube or get the album In Rainbow available now.

The Best Boyfriend Ever!

So I have the sweetest, cutest, most talented boyfriend ever! For Christmas, I received these two gorgeous cutting boards made from maple and cherry. I love the shape and design and two of them, one scaled slightly smaller than the other? What a guy! Although he insists they are plenty hard, I think they're too nice to cut on. Hmm... Perhaps I'll keep using my old cutting board and designate these strictly cheese and cracker servers... rather than another board falling victim to my crazy-sharp knives. (note the vintage Sunkist juicer, a gift from my mom... thanks mom!)

Then the other night, he was experimenting in the barn and came in with this... a three-hundred year old clipboard! It was originally a wide oak plank left over from the barn floor. A few dozen passes through the planer really shows off not only the grain, but the rigidity of this old hard wood. Genius! What more can I say?

The First Step: Check!

The beginning of the new year brought a tiring head cold and a week working long hours at the job-jobs. Although working was very worthwhile and I had a lot of fun, my mind kept drifting back to unpacking and setting up my brand new jewelers bench. Acquiring my new bench was a landmark that has one significant meaning: freedom. I'm actually not exaggerating here. In order to have good body mechanics, jewelers have to work at a certain height. As hard to accept as it may be, the big 3-0 will be hitting me soon enough and my back has a funny way of reminding me. This means no more leaning over my projects until I'm stiff or putting things off until I have a more comfortable place to work. A jewelers bench also has a tray to catch metal scraps and shavings, an expensive loss if disposed of or left to the mice, and some other features I can't wait to use; it's the small things really... I now have drawers! A Christmas present to myself, we picked up all 96 pounds in New Jersey on our last installment of the holiday travels, and I'm proud to announce, I'm all set up!

First on the agenda is to finish some gifts that needed tweaking after the holidays. Once those projects are complete, I can get back to some designs and castings from a while back that have been swimming around in my head for over a year now. My basic studio still needs a few small things (expensive equipment will come with sales and progress), but all in all, I'm ready to get started! Note: small victory parade marching in background.

A Fresh Start in 2008

Happy New Year! I hope 2008 brings lots of new adventures and memories to you! This year begins my process of becoming a [part-time] professional jeweler/metalsmith/designer/artist. Excuse the long title, but I don't really identify with any one particular heading because although I work primarily in precious metals, I have a foundation in and continue to work in many different mediums. I suppose "craftsperson" is the most appropriate title, but not of the SpinArt and macaroni necklace variety! While starting this new chapter, I wish to continue creating as I have for many years, but with some major differences: a degree in my craft, honed skills, some tangible goals in sight, and an idea of what it is I want to communicate with my work. I hope to find an audience that is looking for what it is I create... a few people that feel a personal connection with my imagery, materials, and message. I hope to share some of the ups and downs of my experience on this little 'ol blog here. Both the artistic aspect as well as the business of being an artist... a documentation of my experience, if you will, with some added narrative from me. Thanks for checking in! I look forward to chatting with you in the new year...