More Artwork

'How do I Love Thee' 16" x 20"
                                                                          
                   'Looking Over Us' 16" x 20" Acrylic

'The Art of Love' 16"x 20" Acrylic     



            

                                       'Calm' 18" x 22" Acrylic   'Red Poppy' 20" x 20"
'Vine Dream'  12" x 36" Acrylic

                                                           'Endurance' 18" x 18" Acrylic

My Artwork

'Life is Precious' 20"x 20" Watercolor, Acrylic

'Desert Serenade' 16"x 20"  'Seek Happiness' 24"x 24"

                                                                                                                                                             Painting is another passion of mine, I have always loved painting in my life and always thought I would go into painting earlier, but my direction went to acting first, then baking, but now I have made time for painting again. In high school I was in an advanced art class, and I churned out art like I have never done in my life, everything I looked at was viewed by what colors the item or landscape contained. I painted so much in that class that it was an art overload, and I realized in that point in my life that I wanted it to be a hobby, something calming for me, not stressful, and I shifted into an acting profession. It was not until July of 2008 when I felt the urge to paint! By the way this was 10 years later, I was just in a car crash 3 weeks prior and could not move, I was in pain and had to take my mind off of it. I went into an art store, looked around and felt extreme excitement on the prospect of painting again, I bought all these beautiful paints and could not wait to get home. The following is what I have painted in just a few months, and I am painting like I never have before, it is exciting and new, and something that I will not put away again... enjoy!

'Tree of Life'  6" X 12"

   

                                                            'howdoesyourgardengrow'

                                                      16"X 20" Acrylic and Watercolor

POM Wonderful Fresh Pomegranate Mousse

I've been in a POM Wonderful Pomegranate mood. First I love Pomegranates their flavor is so unique and they can be used in so many recipes, they are truly more versatile than I expected. I'm a baker, so I automatically think of them in dessert recipes, but obviously they can be eaten in savory dishes too. They have a sweetness, as well as a tartness which makes them so multifaceted. The best part is that they are healthy, filled with antioxidants.. that's just another reason to think of recipes.

Since I have been creative making up my own recipes, I thought how delicious would it be to put that POM Wonderful Fresh Pomegranate flavor in mousse. Most people think of chocolate mousse, but this has the same airiness, it just seems a little lighter because fruit automatically is, it just tastes fresher.

Here is my recipe:

2 1/2 cups POM Wonderful Fresh Pomegranate (take the fruit apart and measure the fruit pieces)

3/4 cups fresh Raspberries (you could just add the pomegranate, but the raspberries add another deeper flavor tot he pomegranate, and complements it very well)

1/4 cup Water

1/2 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Dry Sherry (Optional, you cannot taste actual alcohol since it will boil a while, but it adds a great flavor and richness to the pomegranates)

1 cup POM Wonderful Fresh Pomegranate Juice (Original, or any other flavor you like, Pomegranate -Cherry would also be good)

1 Packet Gelatin (Can use 2 teaspoons cornstarch instead, the consistency is a little different, but it works. Use the same way as you would the gelatin)

1/8 cup cool water (to mix Gelatin into)

1 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 teaspoon fresh Vanilla Bean scraped out, or Vanilla Bean Paste (adds flavor and looks pretty with all the little dots)

1/4 cup Confectioners' Sugar

OK, In a medium saucepan add the pomegranate fruit, raspberries, regular sugar, Dry Sherry, 1/4 cup water, pomegranate juice. Bring to a boil. When boiling simmer on medium, you're making the fruit soft in the syrup, let it cook for 20-30 minutes covered, the softer the better. 

Meanwhile in a separate bowl whip the cream, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Whip on low, then on high and form solid peaks, not too soft, firmer than you would usually. Place in the fridge, keep cool.

After this time take a potato masher, or some flat utensil and literally mash the fruit, it should be very soft and syrupy, the pomegranate will not be as soft as the raspberries, but should not be crunchy.

Take a sieve, hold the sieve over a smaller saucepan and pour the fruit mixture through it, flatten the fruit in the sieve and really push down. Anything left in the sieve should be seeds and skin, no juices. 

Heat the small saucepan. Let it boil.

In a separate cup stir the gelatin with the 1/8 cup cool water. Add the gelatin mix to the fruit and stir with a whisk, no lumps. If there are lumps, sieve again in a clean sieve, but you should be fine.

Take off heat. 

Take a large bowl, fill it with ice and some water creating an ice bath. 

Pour the fruit mix in a smaller bowl and fit it inside the large bowl. Stir constantly until cool, feel to make sure it is cool. About 5 minutes.

Now fold in the heavy cream mixture from the fridge, don't stir, just lightly fold, making it all an even pink color.

Pour evenly into about 6 dessert bowls, ramekins or even wine glasses.

Cover with plastic wrap individually and keep in the fridge overnight, or at least 4 hours (until the have firmed up, they should not be super firm, but instead nice a fluffy).

Garnish with some POM Wonderful Fresh Pomegranate fruit on top for a pretty presentation.

POM Wonderful Fresh Pomegranate Tart

It's already November, and I haven't blogged since July, that's pretty crazy! A lot has been going on, including me starting culinary school, which is exciting. So I thought I'd share with you a recipe I've created (actually 2 days before I started school, so it's all me), it's a new spin on a fruit tart using pomegranates, including pomegranate juice in the glaze. It has a great subtle flavor, and surprisingly the pomegranates have a wonderful crunch when the tart has been set in the fridge.  Below is the finished product, a Pomegranate Tart with strawberries and raspberries. It's actually your lucky day because I'm going to share the recipe with you... it's not hard to make, it seems like many steps, but it's not challenging I swear!

You will need for the crust:

1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour

1/4 cup Confectioners' Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter (cut in small pieces)

1 large Egg Yolk

1 Tablespoon Ice Water

To make the crust,

Put flour, sugar and salt in the food processor. Add butter. Pulse till crumbs form.

In a cup, mix yolk and water, add and see dough forms.

Press dough into a 9 inch removable  bottom tart pan, about 1/4 inch thick, no more.

Put in freezer for 15 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 375F, line crust with foil or parchment paper and fill with dry beans, or pie wights. Bake for 12-16 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool to room temperature.

For the cream filling you'll need:

1 1/2 cups whole Milk

1/2 cup Sugar

4 Egg Yolks

2 Tablespoons Cornstarch

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Rum

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Take a stainless steel saucepan, medium sized.

Fill it with 1 1/4 cups milk, leaving (1/4 cup left over), sugar. Scald over medium heat. Do not stir, just wait till small bubbles form on the edge.

In a separate cup mix 1/4 cup milk, egg yolks and cornstarch till smooth.

Temper egg mixture, by slowly adding some hot milk into eggs, stir, then a little more, stir.

Pour all the egg mixture into milk mixture off the heat, stir, then bring to boil (this will be quick).

Take off heat, add butter, rum and vanilla, whisk till smooth.

If there are small lumps sieve the pudding through a strainer. Put plastic wrap directly on pudding, so no skin forms.

Chill. This must cool for at least 40 minutes in the fridge if not longer. The mixture will stiffen.

For the pomegranate glaze you'll need:

1 cup POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice

1/4 cup Sugar

1/8 cup Orange Liquor (optional, but add a great depth of flavor,  you don't taste the alcohol)

1/8 cup cool Water

1 packet Gelatin (If you don't like gelatin, 2-3 teaspoons of cornstarch can be used instead, the difference is that gelatin is clearer, there is no film)

In a small saucepan,

Heat pomegranate juice with the sugar and liquor. Bring to a boil. Boil for about 15 minutes, this will reduce and become more concentrated. 

In a separate cup pour in gelatin and cool water, stir. Do not add hot water. Add the gelatin mix to the reduction and stir for a minute.

Turn off heat, put aside.

Do not chill, just keep close and make sure it is still pretty hot, because you don't want it to set.

For the fresh fruit covering the tart you'll need:

1 cup fresh POM Wonderful Pomegranate pieces, enough from 1/2 whole pomegranate

1 cup fresh Strawberries

1/2 cup fresh Raspberries

(You can use any fruit you prefer instead with the pomegranate, but this is a good combination)

Assemble the tart.

Take the tart shell, add the cool cream filling, spread it evenly.

Take the strawberries and make a layer on the out side first, then make another layer with the raspberries, then fill in the leftover space with the pomegranate. Just grab small handfuls and sprinkle them on (It is OK to see the cream, this will be covered with the glaze).

Take the saucepan with the still very warm glaze and slowly pour it in the tart shell, filling in all the left over space. It is fine to not cover the fruit completely, but you can brush some glaze on them (this protects the fruit, and keeps it longer).

There you have it, there is a lot to explain, but honestly it's faster than it seems, there is just a lot of cooling going on. Keep it in the fridge overnight, or until the glaze does not move, this will take at least 4 hours.

Enjoy. It serves 6-8. A suggestion is to whip cream on the side, and garnish with more fresh pomegranate pieces on the plate. 

Trust me the flavors are wonderful, and the crunch is the best part, the pomegranate really makes this original, and your friends will love it.

Grocery Store Flowers

As you've gathered I like flowers quite a bit. A thing I like to do is go to one of my local grocery stores, not for groceries.. that's too logical, but to take photos of bouquets of flowers! This is always a good place because they're always fresh, vibrant and simply beautiful. I may be cheating though, because I'm not buying them, I'm capturing their free beauty.

A Main Reason To Live in Los Angeles

I like simple things, one of those is the outdoors, specifically the beach. I enjoy going to swim, I know L.A waters are not the cleanest, but when it's over 100 degrees Fahrenheit I just don't care. I also enjoy going just to take photos of the scenery and people, and obviously in this big city there are all sorts of people, especially on Venice Beach. This time I went to Santa Monica Pier. Here are a few.

Weddings

Weddings to me are special. So much love, hope and happiness wrapped into just a few hours, it's hard not to get emotional, and they're always beautiful. Of course with so much planning it has to be. No matter how lavish or simple, the emotions are always there, which is what's most important. Here are some favorites from a few weddings.