Shepard State Park

Today I went to Shepard State Park with my friend Mary.

We painted, and hiked through the park.  Here are some pictures of things we saw!

Peters Land Service Business Cards and Tshirts

 Here is a bit more work for Peters Land Service:  A business card, and a t shirt. 

Eloise Loves Footbal Season!

She is ready for this weekends games!  She is an Auburn fan of course, as well as the Saints, although I hear she also pulls for the ravens.   

She does like to watch the sports, (and tail-gate) but she like to play much better!  You know where she will be going to college!!!!

Happy Birthday Ganesha

Ganesha's Birthday has to be one of my favorite holidays.  This is the second year I have celebrated with friends of mine, one of which makes the beautiful Ganesha every year.  She makes it out of clay, and then, after the celebration is over, they take him to the bayou so he can return to his home.  

 

 Ganesha is the Lord of Obstacles, known for both removing as well as placing them. But like most of the Hindu deities, he is not so simple.  To learn more about him please check out his wikipedia page. 

 

Here is Ganesha and his offerings at his alter.  For his birthday he gets tasty foods, fruits, flowers, candles, and insistence!  Lucky deity he is! 

Below is Dunga the Great!  He is a giant dog!

Peters Land Services' Temporary Website!

Oh! I have been so busy here at the Department of Design!  I have so many projects wrapping up that I will be sharing soon!  I almost cannot wait, but I must.  There is one project, it is just a quick temporary website for a client.  But it is live!  

I should say this about PLS, they do good work!  Today he will be celebrating the opening of the heritage rose garden at Beauvoir.  He researched the roses that Jefferson Davis's wife Varina would have used reconstructed the landscape using the same types of roses she used. 

I can't wait to see the gardens my self. 

A screen shot of peterslandservices.com

In addition to landscape restoration, PLS also provides Planning and Landscape design services as well as building and maintenance.  He specializes in sustainable gardens too! 

I will be posting more of the work for PLS soon, as well as work for his bike shop ecoGeno! 

Sunday Bread-day

Today is my get stuff around the house done day!  I haven't made bread since I have been back, and decided it was on my list of "chores" for the morning!  

I made a Tuscan Loaf which is a simple bread, and has both white and whole wheat.  The recipe came from a cook book my dad bought me several years back when I first began experimenting with bread making: The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger

 

This is the first free formed loaf bread I have made in a long time, as well as the first bread I have kneaded by hand in years (you know, since I got the Kitchen Aid)

 

I think it turned out great!  MMMMM Toast for lunch?  

Pizza Night here at the Ugly Green House

I have been making pizza for my self regularly lately....for several reasons, mostly because I love good pizza, but most is too unhealthy to eat regularly. 

I have learned that if I cook for my self I can have the things I love and still eat in a  way that is good for me, and now that I have it down, I might just eat pizza every day! 

Those are 4 lumps of dough, made from Mark Bittman's recipe, accompanied by tomato, eggplant, basil and rosemary from the garden. Some sea salt, olive oil, Al's pepper mix, mozzarella, and Parmesan. I know it sounds complicated, but since most of it was in my garden it was really simple: just use what you have. 

I have had 2 pizza making surprises. The first is that rosemary is essential, and it goes amazingly with basil. I think this might be a well known fact, but I am just figuring it out. 

Second, to get the dough hot enough to cook in our kitchen ovens, the secret is to use a broiler and a cast iron pan! You must preheat the pans in the broiler then place a thin layer if corn meal in the heated pan. Place the pizzas in the pan, like you would on a stone and bake until top is browned to your liking. This is a quick process, so don't let your mind wander too much or you will risk blackened pizza. 

Bon appetite! Ahhhh!!! I cannot wait for tomorrow's dinner! Pizza night again!