A Trip to the Local Garden Nursery

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african-violet-plant

It’s Thursday which means it’s Artist Date Day. In my last post I showed the African Violet Pot I’m making in my slip casting class, and even though it will be a couple of weeks before I finish the project, I thought it would be fun to select a new plant. A visit to the local nursery would also be the perfect place for this week’s Artist date,  because it’s certainly colorful and has a creative atmosphere. Both are requisites for an Artist Date.

Purple-orchid-blossom
I love the green house at the nursery where they keep the African violets and orchids. Here are only three of the many gorgeous plants I saw while browsing.
Creamy-orchid-blossom
It’s a good thing that I traveled by motorcycle and not car today, or else I would have come home with more than just the one African Violet.
White-orchid-blossom
After this lovely white orchid I’ll leave you with a splash of color.
red-poppy-blossom
It really was the perfect place to go for this week’s Artist Date.

Ceramic African Violet Pot

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African-Violet-Bisque
I started making ceramic African Violet Pots for all of my African Violets. This is a pot I poured in slip casting a couple of weeks ago. It has been fired in the kiln and is now ready for glazing and a second firing.
Painted-top-portion-of-African-Violet-Pot
I painted the top of the upper portion a bright yellow.
Painted-African-Violet-Pot
I like blue and yellow together and thought it would be a cheerful combination. After the violet pot goes through the second firing the colors will be more vibrant. I’ll finish it with a shiny glaze and a beautiful plant. I’m really looking forward to seeing the end result.

An Artist Date to the Bird Store

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Macaw-parrot-2

 

Today I met this friendly young macaw at Omar’s Exotic Birds,  this week’s Artist Date. Omar’s is so colorful and I love seeing their birds. Our cockatiels came from Omar’s and we’ve been customers for over twenty years, so they know us well. I asked permission from the store manager before I took any photos. This lovely macaw was very friendly and not at all disturbed by my camera. In fact I had to be careful because he was a little too curious and kept reaching for the lens.
Senegal-parrot

I saw this bright little Senegal Parrot, while looking around the store, and it tugged at my heart. We lost our Senegal a little over a year ago and I still miss her.
Blue-Macaw-Parrot
Before I left,  I went back to see the friendly macaw, and found him eating his lunch.
Wall-of-color
I spent a few minutes looking at the wall covered with bird toys, but I resisted buying any and headed home.

Easy and Delicious Turkey Chili

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chili

pbc

A delicious and easy to prepare turkey chili. This is one of our family favorites and the perfect recipe to double and prepare ahead. It is even tastier on the second night.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 can 16 oz. or approximate, cut up tomatoes with liquid. I give them a quick mix in the blender.
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder (more if desired)
1 can 16 oz. red kidney beans
1/2 cup beef broth

1 cup of finely chopped zucchini can be substituted for celery

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Brown-turkey-for-Chili
Place ground turkey in skillet and sprinkle with salt. Cook over a medium heat until all the meat changes color. Blend with a fork so meat has a crumbled consistency.

Add-celery-and-onion-and-green-pepper-to-ground-turkey
Add onions,celery,and green pepper. Mix well.Cover and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Adding-spices-to-turkey-chili
Add tomatoes and liquid and all seasonings, mixing well. Bring to a boil, cover, then turn heat to low and simmer gently for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
beans
Next add drained kidney beans and beef broth. Gently stir and simmer uncovered over low heat for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve with shredded cheese, bread, and a salad for a wonderful meal. Enjoy!

 

 

Exploring San Clemente by Scooter

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San-Clemente-House
Sunday means it’s time to go out on our motor scooters and explore Orange County. Yesterday we headed south along Pacific Coast highway to San Clemente. We then followed the bicycle route through the town, which meanders up and down residential streets, which is where I spotted this delightful house. I quickly pulled over and took a photo. Hope the owners don’t mind.

Dolphins-on-house-wall
On the way home, passed some cottages in Capistrano Beach. They were very small, but charming. I would have loved to see inside one of them.
We stopped so I could take this photo of black wrought iron dolphins on the wall of a house.side-view-martin-on-scooter
I wonder if Martin knew I took his photo. I’m pretty quick and sneaky with my point and shoot camera. The weather was perfect, and we had a wonderful ride. I’ve lived in Southern California most of my life, but there is always somewhere new to explore in Orange County.