At Least Someone...

...is using the bbq! I found this bold little guy under the cover staying cool. He seemed happy to let me take his picture, even waited for me while I ran and got my camera. I love how the stainless steel picks up so many colors when giving it a hit of saturation. We haven't been using the bbq as much as normally do this summer. I used the burners but have barely turned on the grill. It's too hot to cook inside today so I'm cleaning it up & firing it up for dinner. I made some of my favorite chimichurri sauce this morning. It's good on steak, chicken, fish...frog legs...! haha *No! I wouldn't!* The recipe below is one version of chimichurri that I love and the one I made today. I'm so glad planted lots of parsley & oregano this year. I plan to make many more batches of this sauce. Chimichurri is not just good for dinner, it makes a great gift or something special to take to a summer party.

Chimichurri Recipe

1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves (sub 2 teaspoons dried oregano but fresh is best)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 canned jalapeno peppers (sissy? start with one & add to control heat or seed 1st)

You can substitue 1 Tbsp of red pepper flakes but I don't like as much as the pickled peppers.

I throw everything in the blender & blend until smooth, however, you can finely chop everything to make it a little chunky. (I like it either way) Serve at room temperature.

A Big Shout Out goes to EllieLee , YouBadGirl, NimiJewelry & ZiBagz for featuring my art in their fabulous Etsy Treasuries! Check out their beautiful work & shops by clicking on their names.

Another Big Shout Out, more of a holler really, goes to Sandra Hemsworth, the Curator at the Olive Hyde Art Gallery in Fremont, CA for inviting me to exhibit my artwork in their California Etsy Artist show in October! It's truly an honor!

There's No Such Thing...

...as a bad photo. Well, ok, maybe there is, but I'm having fun learning to crop them before sending them to the bin. Just look how cropping these photos, one with bobbing strangers & one with lots of glare , are saved by a little cropping! I think the long skinny pictures would look cool on scrapbook pages. So crop away before you toss away! A Big Shout Out goes to As The Crackerhead Crumbles for including me & my art in their great list of Christmas in July feature! And WhatsHerName, SharingArt & TerraWorks for including
my art in their Etsy Treasuries. The support of me & my art is very much appreciated! Thank you! To visit their shops or blog just click on their names above.