Lentil Soup- warm food for a cold rainy weekend

Food for many people:  Lentil soup with kale, flat breads, salad...


 One of the things I do is cook for dinners at cohousing,  an "art" in itself.

Here is Tom chopping onions for Lentil Soup.

Recipe for 18:
3 onions, chopped medium
1/2 cup olive oil
5 or 6 carrots
5 or 5 stalks celery (if you have it)
6-7 cloves garlic (more is fine)
3 tsp dried oregano
3 bay leafs
3 tsp dried basil
2 (14.5 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
7 cups dry lentils
24 cups water
6 cups kale or broccolini or spinach cleaned and chopped (preferably fresh)
5 Tb Cider Vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

For a hearty meat version, I added 3 lb Aidells Chicken/apple sausage, browned, which adds a bit of a smoky flavor.  For vegetarians, just skip adding the meat.

Saute the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in a big (2 1/2 or 3 gallon) pot,  add other spices,

Stir in lentils, water and tomatoes,  bring to a boil, and stir so the bottom doesn't stick.

Saute the sausage, letting it brown, while lentils are cooking.   Add about half way thru.  (not critical timing)

Simmer until lentils are tender, about an hour, can be more.  15 minutes before serving, stir in fresh greens, and cook until wilted.  Add vinegar, then salt and pepper to taste.

I made a vegetarian and a meat version and served it with flat breads with a little parmesan melted on the top and a fresh green salad.

Inspiration: LEGO Boardroom Table

‘making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.’ Charles Mingus

 I was inspired by this picture and the description and video of how it was made: http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Lego-Boardroom-Table/425324

Then I was intrigued by the site:  www.behance.net, which is a showcase for designers worldwide, 

which also sponsors the 99% Conference.  99% is  based on 1% Inspiration, 99% Perspiration theory on ideas making things happen.   Here are some great quotes on the 99% Conference.   Sum: It's not about ideas, its about making ideas happen.  (of course, the ideas showcased are stunning.)

Hammering on Metal

Took a "Chasing and Repoussé" class from Megan Corwin last weekend:  Here she is setting up for the class at Randi Hapers "Art at the Ranch" in Snohomish.

The metal is generally held in a pot full of pitch, which supports the metal from one side, and you hammer it with tools from the top side.   This gives you texture and shapes the metal.

Here's Randi with a piece of copper on the pitch, with her left hand she is holding a tool, which is touching the metal, and in her right hand she is hammering the other end of the tool.

Here is a sample (some great pieces) of what you can get with the chasing, and some of the tools are in the background. 

Check out Megan's website for some of the really gorgeous work that can be done.