Cranberry Beans....just in time for the holidays : )

My new discovery working at the farm...

Just as pretty outside as they are inside! : )

What can you find at your grocer or farm stand to try that is new and different?? : )

Recipe from: http://www.foodandwine.com

Fresh Shell Bean and Tomato Stew

CONTRIBUTED BY MICHEL NISCHAN

3 cups fresh cranberry beans (from 3 pounds in the shell)
1 quart water
2 garlic cloves, halved
2 thyme sprigs, plus 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
Pinch of baking soda
1 pound tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt

In a saucepan, combine the beans, water, garlic, thyme sprigs and baking soda and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the beans are tender, 30 minutes.
Drain the beans, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid in the saucepan. Discard the garlic and thyme sprigs. Add the beans and tomatoes. Simmer the stew over moderate heat until the tomatoes are hot, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Add the thyme leaves and season with salt, then serve.

NOTES One Serving 408 cal, 5 gm fat, 2.8 gm sat fat, 69 gm carb, 25 gm fiber.

My Creative Heart : )

One of my BFF's opened her dream shop Saturday!

My Creative Heart
411 Main Street
Rt 6A
Yarmouthport, MA 02675
781-389-3968
Owner: Susan Pasillo

I stopped by Friday night to help out and took some photos and then sprinkled in some from my other BFF friends photos on Saturday!
Sue and I have been friends for over 10 years working literally side by side in our classrooms. She teaching Art to middle school students while I taught Family and Consumer Science. She has talked about opening a store for years and with the help of her super supportive husband, her dream came true. She is so talented and her shop has such a fun and inviting vibe!
She features her own creative work as well as other very talented local artists including my
other good friend Sue's husband, who is a great photographer and now has a great place to show off his talent.
It was so much fun to see my friends again and share our love of creativity and share lots of laughs!!
I am hoping to be able to put some of my own wares in My Creative Heart soon!

Please stop by if you are ever on the Cape.
6A was always my idea of a mental vacation....I could drive and drive and drive and I would get so inspired by all the shops along the way!

Enjoy this nice picture getaway with a cup of hot coffee or tea on this beautiful Fall Sunday morning....

I am off to work at the farm, so I don't have time to post details right now, but will fill in more information tonight when I get home!!

A cozy site from outside looking in!

My other friend Sue took these pictures on sunny Saturday!! So cheery!! : )

When you open the drawers to this country hutch you are suprised by a pretty red interior!

Friend Tom Rourke with some of his wonderful photograph!

Sue's written and illustrated books just in time for Fall!

Beautiful beachy themed furnishings : )

Sue's brother made these great fishing hooks....so creative!!

Sue's jewelry and paintings! : )

Sue's upcycled painted furniture matched with one of the shop's featured artists.

This is a collage portrait that Sue did....just beautiful!

This collage picture was one of my favorites : )

Antique bottles to hang on the wall ready for fresh flowers!! : )

Field Trip to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art : )

Inspired by my latest class at the Worcester Art Museum and our instructor Suzy Becker, I decided to take the opportunity to visit the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, MA.

I really enjoyed it!

They had an exhibit of Ezra Jack Keats, author and illustrator of "A Snowy Day".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEmBTYc7Ivo

On display were Ezra's sketches, journals and typed letters from Publishing Houses. What I loved the most was the reading the correspondence between his readers and himself.

www.ezra-jack-keats.org/

The next exhibit was of the author and illustrator of "Maisy".

http://www.maisyfunclub.com/maisyframe.asp

The illustrations were adorable and it was great to see the original paintings and drawings.

The final exhibit is of the beloved Eric Carle.
One of my son's favorite books, given to him when he was young, by his Grampy and Memere was "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M2TvyR3_XE&feature=relmfu

I have to say out of all the museums I have visited in my life....(not many if I am honest)...but, I must say, I got the most inspiration from this one.
I loved being able to see the behind the scenes of how these artists and writers live and work!

Here are some other fun pictures from my visit! : )

You would have to be in a good mood at all times in this car!! : )

The tiles in the bathroom! : )

My favorite thing....the Library!

The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar

Paintings by Eric Carle

Art Studio....Here I come!!

Loved, Loved, Loved This!! So creative, yet so simple!! I could definitely picture this in a teenagers room or a dorm room!! : )

I was given these supplies to make a city scene.

"Before"

"After"

Close up of my bike with kickstand! : )

Maisy's books on display at the bookstore !

Lots of fun books and gifts!

And I even found my instructor Suzy's book!!

I felt like I had come full circle since she is the one who suggested we all check out this fun museum!!

A fun day trip for sure!!

To find out more....

www.carlemuseum.org/

Here is to a wonderful school year! : )

Press the button on this bottom right hand side to make it fill up your computer screen with happiness!

Field Trip to Salem : )

Yesterday I got the chance to go to Salem with a good teacher friend of mine. We had lots of fun and laughs! Missing many exits from talking so much with so much catching up to do!

I don't think I have ever been to Salem before.

It was very interesting.

We went to see Ansel Adam's exhibit of pictures with water.

Fascinating!

We then went browsing around and I found the most interesting bookshop.

I thought this looked like something from Harry Potter in Diagon Alley...

It only gets better inside....

I asked the man....(now try to picture this....piles of books on either side on a counter....about a 8"wide opening between very tall piles and the clerk (very nice by the way) sits behind the opening on the other side of the counter...

I asked him if I could take pictures.

He said if I made a purchase I could take all the pictures I wanted.

I only had 5 dollars in my pocket so I chose carefully.

I ended up buying a children's picture book to use as a reference for what I am working on.

After I made my purchase I asked, "Now can I take some pictures?" And he basically said, take all the pictures you want! : )

Lots of people frequent this shop from what I could see.

It was amazing!

I just found this on Google......

https://plus.google.com/107615714618423195889/about?gl=us&hl=en

You can see a picture of the man behind the stack of books that I was trying to describe! : )

Definitely worth a peek if you are ever in the area. Just hold the top of the stack as you gently pull the book from the bottom....if that is where you favorite book is located! : )

We ended the day going to a great place for lunch!
Thanks Maria for treating...since I only had 2 dollars left after my book purchase!