I{HEART}ART: Inspiration: Winter Creatures

"Winter Deer and Cardinal" original art by Tina C. Wells

This year, I took December off from the blog. While my head spun with fun post ideas, I promised my family that I would desperately try to be more present in the midst of massive amounts of baking, wrapping, celebrating, etc. And, I will say, that giving up a few things helped. 

My painting and holiday decor this year flowed easily from December to January. I had created this painting at the beginning of December and while it worked well for Christmas, I am enjoying it as a January/winter scene as well.

On the same theme, I incorporated the elk antler into my winter decor. My husband found the shed antler in the woods in Arizona. I added my succulent pots, pine cones, and candles, and over Christmas added red berries to the mix.   

RECIPE: Clam Chowder!

My grandma (Namie, as we called her) taught me to make this delicious Clam Chowder. It is such comfort food on a cool winter night. Crusty, warm bread, salad...meal complete. 

Ingredients
2-3 cups lowfat milk*
1/4 Cup + 2 TBS butter
1/4 Cup flour (slightly rounded)
1 large onion
3 medium potatoes
1 cups water
(2) 6.5 oz canned chopped clams in clam juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper 
tabasco/pepper sauce 

1. Mince onion; brown in 2 TBS butter. Peel and cube potatoes (small bite sized cubes). Add potatoes, 1 cup water, salt and pepper to onions/butter and cook covered, medium heat, until tender (add a little more water, if needed, halfway through cooking). Check often and stir gently. Do NOT overcook potatoes.
2. While potatoes and onions are cooking, melt 4 TBS butter and 4 TBS flour in large kettle on medium heat; slowly add 2 cups milk, stirring constantly. Thicken.
3. Add onions and potatoes to milk mixture.
4. Add clams and clam juice, and up to 1 cup milk, to mixture and heat through (for a thicker chowder, omit this last cup of milk).*
5. Add 2 shakes of Tabasco (optional)

ENJOY!