"splashes of color"

On this trip to my uncle's studio I tried a new kind of stained glass project for me--a mosaic. I'm pretty happy with the results of my first time out. I worked from right to left, starting with the green piece of glass and fitting subsequent pieces together in free form fashion until I'd filled the base on which I was working. It will take a few weeks for the glue I used to completely dry, but the glass will eventually be transparent again. If you click on the picture to blow it up you'll see that most of the glass has a texture with fine lines and a few bubbles in it that I really dig. I'm not sure how I'll finish off the edges. Hmmm... In any case, I think next time I'll try to go in with a pattern and see how that works.

cooking local

I spent last weekend in Fremont, Michigan cooking for about 30 people from Rez Cov who were on a church retreat. I had several close friends in the group and it was a real joy (and lot of fun) to be able to help out. It was also a challenge since I'd never cooked for such a large group of people for that many meals in a row. Perhaps the most interesting part of the experience was the shopping since I made an effort to use seasonal, locally produced produce and cruelty-free dairy and meats. I spent a day gathering food from local providers including the Fulton Street Farmer's Market, Stevens and Sons Grassfield Farm, and Robinette's Orchard. Local Harvest was a huge help in tracking down what I needed. Here's the menu.

FRIDAY
Snack
Cookies • Coffee • Hot Chocolate

SATURDAY
Breakfast
Cranberry and Walnut Coffeecake • Granola • Yogurt • Fruit • Milk • Coffee • Orange Juice

Lunch
White Chili • Cornbread / Jalapeño Cornbread • Green Salad • Tea

Dinner
Bar-b-que Sausage Sandwiches / Roasted Vegetables and Goat Cheese Sandwiches • Butternut Squash with Onions and Pecans • Broccoli Salad • Corn on the cob • Tea

Snack
Donuts • Cider • Coffee • Hot Chocolate

SUNDAY
Brunch
Smoked Salmon • Bagels and Cream Cheese • Pumpkin Bread • Spinach and Muenster Fritata / Muenster and Herb Fritata • Fruit and Cheese (apples, pears, grapes, stilton, sharp cheddar, brie) • White Wine • Orange Juice • Milk • Coffee

From a trip to the Fulton Street Farmer's Market last summer.