Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope this finds everyone having a lovely 
St. Patrick's Day. I am wearing the green
and plan on cooking a mean Irish Stew
today. Enjoy the day!

Irish Stew

This Irish Stew is a little different than the 
one I posted last time. It is great served with a fresh salad and some bread. It is my go to stew. It has a rich taste and the potatoes stay together really well. Make sure you put the beef, carrots, potatoes, onions in your crock pot in that order. I hope you have the luck of the Irish with this meal.

6 slices of bacon
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 bay leaf
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 1/2 pounds of beef stew meat
4 to 6 carrots, peeled and cut in 1 to 2 inch pieces
4 onions quartered
10 to 15 fingerling potatoes, washed
1 can french onion soup
1 12 ounce bottle of Guiness or any other stout beer
1 small can of tomato paste, 6 ounces

Cook the bacon in a pan till done.
Remove bacon, saving grease in pan.
Put flour, salt, and pepper in zip lock bag.
Add stew meat and shake till coated.
Brown beef cubes in bacon grease.
Place in Crock Pot when brown.
Add carrots, potatoes, and onions to crock pot in that order.
In a bowl add onion soup, tomato paste, beer, and all the spices and garlic. Mix well.
Pour into crock pot over meat and vegetables.
Cook on high for 5 to 6 hours till all is tender.
Warm the bacon. Break into pieces. Sprinkle over stew when serving.
Enjoy!

Iphone Photograph - Look Homeward Angel

Look Homeward Angel

I took this photograph with my iphone. 

I used the iphone camera but edited it

using Pic Grunger and Filter Mania. I 

believe I got both of the apps for around

$.99 each. They are fun to play with.

The photograph itself is from the cemetery

where Thomas Wolfe and his mother are

buried. When his mother died he had this

angel made for her plot. His book "Look

Homeward Angel" pretty much says it all.

The cemetery is a nice drive from my house.

It is a very unassuming place. I decided

to drive there this morning before an early

appointment. I like to take pictures in

these settings either early in the morning 

or late afternoon. Hope you enjoy. 

Thought every one could start off the

week with an angel!

St. Patrick's Day Freebies

Thought this week I would start out with some St. Patrick's Day freebies. Since it is March and all. Can you believe it? Where does the time go? 

Any way here are a few St. Patrick's Day images. I find the ones from Ms. Ellen Clapsaddle to be so cute and refreshing. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Digital Photograph - Teasel

Last week was a tough week. Thank you

all for your support and comments.

This week I have spent my time

healing and trying to gain my strength

back. Physically and Emotionally.

I need to get my house and life back in

order. I love the quote in my quote

book this week about adversity

and being torn. It made me think of 

these teasels. 

Back in the day when I lived in

"the North" these teasels grew on the

sides of the road everywhere. Occasionally

I would see these women parked along the

road with paper bags, long sleeve shirts, 

leather gloves, and large clippers. I 

would wonder "What are they doing? What

are they thinking?" You see teasels

will tear you up in a heart beat.

They will ensnare your hair, clothes, skin. Ouch.  

A few weeks later after seeing several cars and women stopped by the road I went to a church bazaar. There sat several women in their booths with the most beautiful wreaths. Yes, they were teasel wreaths. They had soaked them in water and woven beautiful things with them. I was astounded. 

So, yes we get scratched up, torn up, but through it all something beautiful can happen. As I drive along the back road's and I come across a teasel or two I think back to those days. How young I was, but the lesson was learned. Not forgotten.

Quote Book #5 - Torn

Digital Photograph - The Grey Barn

The Grey Barn

Four Letter Words - Torn

Textures for You...

Here are a couple of delicious textures for you. I hope you can use them. I really enjoy adding textures to certain photographs. They seem to make them richer. I think texture just does that. It makes everything seem a little more elegant. It gives depth.