Who doesn't love three flavors of popcon?

 

I understand the idea- illustrate the tins so that consumers have a pretty tin once the popcorn is gone. But really? These tins are so ugly! I understand the appeal of John Deere, but there is no way I'm displaying these things ANYWHERE! So here's an idea to keep a very functional item, but rework it to make it more appealing.

 First off, I washed down the tins inside and out. Then I spray painted them with Krylon's dual paint and primer in grey. I was really impressed with the coverage of this spray paint! It covered the pictures completely in two coats.

 Then I printed my graphic out on decal paper. I got the decal paper on amazon.com and just made the graphics on Microsoft Word. Super easy. I eyeballed it for size. I wanted a horse graphic and a simple, clear font with some character. I get most of my free fonts from scrapbookfonts.com. The decal paper is easy to use, just load it like regular into an inkjet printer and print it out on best quality.

 After it printed, I took the decal paper outside and sprayed with 4 thin and even coats of MOdPodge Spray in gloss, as per instructions included with the decal paper. I got my spray from WalMart.

 The coats dried VERY fast out side. The spraying process took about 5 minutes total.

 Once the Modpodge spray is completely dry, cut around the images. Try to get close to the edges, but don't cut out the interior of the letters. If you are just doing a simple graphic you can cut right on the edges of the image, but since I had letters I kept a slim margin.

 Soak the decal paper graphic in water for about 15-20 seconds. The paper tends to curl, so I held it under water for about 5 seconds, then flipped it over so it would be completely saturated for the rest of the time.

 Once the decal starts to slip off the backing paper, you are good to go! Remove it from the water and position onto the surface of the tin. With a damp rag, smooth out all air bubbles. There can't be any air bubbles if you want it to adhere seamlessly.

 As you can see, you can barely see the edges of the decal paper.

 Here are my finished tins, ready to be filled. In hindsight, I wish I had gone for more color, aqua, coral or pale green would have been nice. And I also think I would do just letters, without the graphic. I just don't like the Marathon horse as much as I thought I would. I think I would do a cool frame with the lettering inside. So this project gets a A+ for being super easy, cheap, and fast, but a C- for my artistic vision! Now I need to go find some more popcorn tins!

These are going in my pantry, but I think they would also look great coralling toys, craft supplies, sewing notions, or art supplies!

Today

I pulled Kitten out of the pasture today and rode her for the first time in months. Wyoming is bitterly cold during winter and previous years I hadn't had access to an indoor arena, so it's typical that I pull shoes and send her out to pasture with her buddies in about November. Then, as soon as it's warm enough to ride, her vacation is over.
My relationship with this horse is one of the greatest prides and joy of my life. She suits me down to the ground, and part of that is all the things we have gone through together. One of the biggest issues we had wasn't even about her, it was about me, but she showed me the way out.

Before I bought Kitten, I was helping at a rodeo camp. There was a little girl trying to figure out how to trot around the barrels, but her horse was just being a pig and would not for any reason trot. I took her and her horse over to a quiet corner of the arena and was making that horse trot in circles so that she could think about steering and posting and not having to spend all her energy on trying to get that horse to move. Well, he was getting pissed. I should have seen it coming, really I should have. He gave me warning, but I was focused on helping that little girl ride.

During one of the circles, as he was coming around in front of me, he swung his butt towards me and let loose both barrels. One of his hooves (thank God he wasn't shod!) got me right in the thigh. I honestly thought he had broken my femur. My leg swelled up so big I couldn't put my jeans on, and I have never seen flesh turn the colors that injury did! Right then a deep, gripping fear of any horses' back end started. I hid it pretty well, putting on a brave and careless face, but it was there, growing and taking hold.

Right about that time the bottom of the horse market fell through. I had been looking for a horse and my dear friend had found a good prospect. Kitten was a 2 year old at the time and she was awesome. Even as a two year old she looked great, tall and lean (for a quarter horse), and her breeding was fantastic. I bought her for $250 at a local auction and marveled at my good luck all the way home.
I began the training process with a friend of mine. This was the first colt I had ever trained and I needed all the help I could get! Things were going so well, she was very smart and kind, just so kind. Even when she tested me it was sort of half hearted, she couldn't bring herself to throw a real fit.

Unfortunately the fear was still there, freezing me up and making me mistrust this horse that had done absolutely nothing to deserve it. At that point I was riding her regularly and really enjoying her. But I had stopped picking out her back hooves. I avoided them. I reasoned and excused myself, thinking that she was just fine, her hooves were fine.

There came a point where I just couldn't excuse myself any more, so I decided I would force myself to use a hoof pick on her back feet. I crowded myself in as close as I could get to her flank, picked up a hoof she was more than willing to give, and started in on it. It felt like my insides were frozen. I was clamping down, forcing myself not to think about the power she had, about another horse that was willing to hurt me to get his own way. I was so tightly wound up inside that I was going to explode at any minute.

Then she did it. She shifted her weight over onto her other back foot and I blew up. I punched her belly with my fist- fear making me move quickly and strike as hard as I could. I will never forget it. Me panting, shaking,adrenalin pounding in my ears, standing a couple of feet away from her. Her breath had left her in a grunt and she had tucked up her belly from the force of the blow. She stood frozen on all four feet, not wanting to make another move in case I pounded her again. She had no idea what she had done, she was merely shifting her weight like a good girl to take the weight off my hands and make it a little easier for me and more comfortable for her.

Then she looked at me. That's another thing I won't forget. I don't anthropomorphize animals, but if she could talk, she would have asked:
"Why?"

Why indeed. This horse had so much try, typically she would give me all she had during every training time. Many times she wouldn't understand what I wanted but she always tried to understand, tried to get along, tried to please. I wasn't that good at communicating with her but she had bent herself in knots trying to get it right. She had never tried to hurt me. Never even thought about it, I'm sure. I had let out all my fear in the ugliest of ways towards her and she hadn't done a single thing to deserve it. It was me. It was all me
At that moment I thought: "I am going to grab this fear with both hands and KICK ITS ASS."

So began the retraining process of myself.

Every time I rode I made myself clean out her hooves first, slowly and thoroughly. I made myself stand behind her and brush out her tail. When I was done riding and just hanging out chatting with my friends I made myself stand by her butt and sling an arm over her. At first it was so hard, I would jump at every movement she made. I would only be able to handle a little bit at a time. Slowly, though, it got easier. Every time I saw her do absolutely nothing in response to me being behind her chipped away at my distrust. She hadn't done a thing to lose my trust, but she was building it back all the same.

It felt so great to control and abolish my fear rather than my fear controlling me. I attacked and attacked and attacked until that thing went away.

And that's just one thing she did for me. I don't know if I can even explain how I feel about her. I know she is an animal, a horse, but there is a connection between her and me that is precious to me. When she has those bad days, I'm willing to give her a little grace. Because over and over, in all my bad days, she's given me a lot of grace. She's gold to me.

Noodles and Tomatoes...

My Dad makes an especially fine haute cuisine dish of noodles and tomatoes. I used to think it was gross. Now I love it! There are just certain days when it is perfect- when the house has a slight chill because the wind is high and the wood burns up instead of out, when it is damp and rainy and the air has a spring time feel, I just know by feeling whether it is noodles and tomatoes weather. After I made it for Chubzie he shouted: "My tummy is so HAPPY!!"

Today is that day, and in the spirit of sharing, here is the highly sought after, often decorated by international diners of distinction, secret Balon noodles and tomatoes recipe.

Get a medium size pot of water boiling. Break up dry spaghetti into 2 inch lengths and throw into pot. Amount to be determined by you. When al dente, strain over the sink and return to pot. Open a can of plain diced tomatoes. Dump half (or all depending on your tastes) into pot and warm up. Sprinkle LOTS of salt and pepper into the pot.
Serve and eat.

Gustatorians everywhere: You are welcome.

So I was thinking about...

Publishing an online magazine. I know, I know, the chances of me ever doing something like that is slim, but I like thinking about it.
I think I would do lots of photos and vintage line drawings along the lines of "My Small Country Living."
Poetry by James Whitcomb Riley, interesting articles on things like:
How to build your own farm table from reclaimed wood
Various comparing and contrasting of chicken breeds
Heirloom vegetables
Heirloom livestock
planting and caring for fruit trees
how to plan a garden
livestock butchering
cooking with game
quilting, stories behind the blankets
canning
riding
dogs
interviews with local artisans
fun DIY- whatever hairbrained thing I am interested in*
I don't know, just stuff that interests me.
It seems so doable, publishing 4 times a year on seasonal type things. A real curiousity shop layout, every issue something different, no continuing bylines. I think it could be great, and interesting and hit a niche market of young back to the landers, whether they are urban or not.
WHO'S WITH ME?????
I know. I can barely keep up with posting regularly nevermind finding the d*** camera and making sure it has batteries and taking pictures and uploading them and resizing them for the internet and ..........on and on.

I just like thinking about it.

*Reusing those old nasty 3 flavored popcorn tins: spray painting them several layers of colors, distressing and making my own decals for: flour, rice, dog treats, etc. Yes I will post pictures as soon as I find the d*** camera, make sure it has batteries.... you get the idea!

Olive Fell

Olive Fell was a local artist in the 40's and 50's. She is mostly known for her trademark bear cubs in Yellowstone, artwork that she did for postcards and greeting cards for the park, but she has many prints and etchings as well. I really love her style, it is kitschy in the best sort of way, in that it is truly original and very evocative of the 40's and 50's. I also love her iconic handwriting, and would love to somehow get Amanda, of Kevin and Amanda, to make it into a font that I could use on, oh, everything! One of the things I like about Fell's work is her use of color- rich and vivid, it creates dynamic feeling without becoming overpowering.

Steak and Arugula

So, to say a lot has been going on in our lives would be an understatement. It's hard to know how much to share in such a public way. I know all five of my readers probably know what has been going on, but to put it succintly: We are in a different home and church, and are currently pursuing God about what is next for us as a family. We are living in a blessing of a house on a beautiful property in M-town. As soon as I find our camera I will definitely do a home tour, but for now I want to focus a bit on cooking.
This new kitchen is awesome! I LOVE cooking in such a light and airy space, filled with windows, counter space, and a giant pantry. Pair that with the new cook set I got from Ron for Christmas and we're talking FOOD!!
I was given two Rachel Ray magazines, and have been on a Rachel Ray kick ever since. She has great recipes for healthy eating, which I am hoping will help me to lose some of this baby weight. I have been walking in the afternoons while the boys nap, and I think I have already lost a LITTLE weight!
Last night we had grilled sirloin steak with avocado corn salsa on grilled corn tortillas. I just use my grill pan and it works great.
I had defrosted four steaks and only used two, so tonight I wanted to use up the steak and the leftover arugula I had in the fridge.
So tonight: Grilled steak strips with sauteed mushrooms, pasta with sauteed arugula parmesan cream sauce, and steamed peas. No. not exactly on the healthy menu, but goooooood.

I started my water boiling, then put 2 T of Extra virgin olive oil and butter into a pan and got it warmed on medium heat. While it was heating, I sliced the steak that had been marinating for two days in soy sauce into thick, one inch slices. Then I sliced a carton of baby portabello mushrooms and threw them into the pan. The baby portabellos are so good! So meaty and earthy and YUM! I let my mushrooms get soft and then spread them in a thick layer on the bottom of my pan. Then I layered the steak slices on top of the mushrooms and let it sit for a while. After the mushrooms had started to get browned, I stirred it all up together and turned the heat down just a bit.

Throw your futtucine into the boiling water.

Onto the cream sauce. First I put about 2 T of EVOO into a pan and let it warm up on med heat. I pressed two cloves of garlic into the pan. If you are even THINKING about using the precut stuff, FORGET ABOUT IT! Don't be lazy, use the real stuff and you will thank yourself. Let the garlic warm, but don't fry the little suckers. Dump in your arugula and stir softly til it has wilted down. Add cream, as much or as sinfully as you want. I just used a little bit. Add salt and pepper.

Salt and pepper your steak slices since you and I both forgot to do it earlier. I took the steak off the heat when it was nicely browned but still a tad pink inside. Do not cook the living daylights out of your meat. You will not die from strange germs and the flavor is the whole reason we eat animals!

When your pasta is al dente drain and mix into your cream sauce.
Howl because you forgot to steam the peas and then let it go. Look, a lot of this recipe isn't exact because cooking doesn't always have to be exact. I used about 3/4 a box of fettucine noodles and it was a bit too much. Whatever!

Serve the pasta alongside the steak and mushrooms for a really yum meal. Eat hunched over your laptop watching the latest episode of Downton Abbey.

Somebody somewhere in the cosmos knew I needed this site this week. Thank you cosmos, just thank you.