Isolation Marrons Glacé (Candied Chestnuts)

In times like this we can’t predict the future, but it’s best to conserve as much nutrition as possible. I’m continuing to  rummage around, making sure I use all my perishable ingredients and not let anything go to waste. I purchased a large amount of organic chestnuts at Christmas and due to family circumstances didn’t use all of them. I washed them in their shells and placed them in bags in the fridge, hoping I would find time to do something with them later.

A few days ago I decided to try them in salad and possibly attempt to candy them. Chestnuts must be soaked for at least a few hours before roasting so they stay moist when cooking, 24 hours for good measure. After soaking I washed and wiped off the mold that had grown on the shell, then cut a cross into the flat side to stop them exploding in the oven and make them easier to peel. Roasting only takes about 10 mins. I used my convection toaster oven. Once roasted I shelled and tasted them, apart from a few black areas, which I cut off, they were delicious.

I tried them in salad, but the chestnut flavor didn't come through well. Then I used the recipe below to make the rest into Marrons Glacé, the famous candy that Queen Victoria loved. It’s simple but takes a minimum of two days as they soak up the syrup, so be patient.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/marrons-glace-candied-chestnuts-recipe-1375145

The first resting period, best in a covered dish at room temperature

The CoVid Victory Garden - Learning from history

It’s a little early in our parts, but due to isolation my thoughts have been turning to making a victory garden. Victory over CoVid that is.

CURLY LETTUCE by Sea Dean

I am completely isolating due to my weak immune system and lungs and my survivalist stash will come in very handy. I always have plenty of vitamins, minerals, rice and protein powder on hand. However, there is no substitute for the delight of fresh greens. I live in a condo, so no garden; although there is a fresh herb garden maintained by the complex, which I would be putting myself in touch and droplet jeopardy to use. So I’ve been eyeing up my balcony and planters. I usually plant geraniums, but perhaps I will follow the lead of my forebears and plant a victory garden this year.

The idea of the victory garden was invented in WWI Britain to nourish a starving population. By-laws were relaxed allowing people to create veggie gardens in public spaces and even keep a few livestock if they shared the meat and eggs.

CABBAGE by Sea Dean

I remember my paternal grandmother had a large allotment where her four strapping boys would dig, plant and weed like a multi handed machine. There was even an evil minded goat for milk called Olive and you didn’t want to turn your back on her. One day she got loose during milking and chased my maternal grandmother all the way down the main road. Nana Dot grew berries in her back yard and made jam and pickles for the whole family which were fairly distributed amongst those who did the work. Every weekend the boys would show up with their families to weed, water and pick, the kids would play in the dirt and the women make tea and exchange gossip. It was part of the cement that made family so important to me.

My balcony is quite large, but shaded, so I’m probably just going to plant herbs, arugula and lettuce. It will be fun to bring life and growth back into this sad world. I’m thinking I may drop some seeds off at my Mums care home so they can plant their own and give the residents something to occupy themselves with. (Of course I will wear gloves, wipe off all the packets with alcohol and seal in a plastic bag to keep the residents and staff safe).

I would love to hear if you have any plans for your own victory garden.

Stay Home - Stay Safe

Isolation Chocolates

ISOLATION CHOCOLATES 

Mmmmmm hmmm. (finger lick), I invented a recipe. I feel like I just found out how to spin straw into gold. Yum!

I’m a goal setter and I have a goal to stay healthy and not let that pesky virus get anywhere near me. I hope you have the same goal, not just to protect yourself, but to protect. your friends, family and even strangers you may accidentally infect.

In order to reach my goal I am in total isolation. I always have plenty of dry and canned goods around because I was raised in post war scarcity, followed by the cold war. I know how to survive on the smell of an oily rag so to speak. If services start to shut down I even have a nice mountain stream nearby and plenty of blankets. I have no reason to come into contact with anybody. I’m lucky. Or maybe it’s just well planned.

So my goal within a goal is to use all my stored supplies even if I don't like them. Today I used two things I really dislike, white sugar and bitter cocoa powder. I was driven by the fact that I’m a huge chocolate lover and for some time now I’ve been limiting my intake. Now I’m out of supply and can’t go to the shops, I’m pacing. Then I remembered the delicious truffles a friend gave me last Christmas. Long gone of course, but I recall the taste. I looked in the cupboards for any kind of chocolate. Hot Chocolate mix, too sweet, no cookies, no cereal, no pudding cups. However, at the back of my baking cupboard there was some icing sugar left over from Mum and some Blooker Dutch Cocoa Powder, also given to me by a friend. I surmised that if I mixed the two and added something to bind them together I may have something resembling a truffle.

Heres what I did

ISOLATION CHOCOLATES
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup Blooker dutch cocoa powder
Small amount whipping cream to bind

1. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly
2. Slowly add un-whipped cream a few drops at a time, keep mixing by hand with a metal spoon until it barely holds together. Keep pushing the ingredients together, but don't add more cream. It must be a stiff paste. If too wet add more icing sugar and cocoa. (If you’ve used fat to bind you may even be able to roll it out on a dusting of cocoa powder.)
3. Place a few spoons of cocoa powder or icing sugar in a small bowl
4. Holding a small teaspoons in each hand, scoop a candy sized portion with one and scrape it off with the other so it falls into the powdery bowl.
5. Depending on the size of the bowl you can coat a few at a time, but don't let them touch.
6. Coat fully by picking up the bowl and swirling till the blobs are coated.
7. Place a sheet of wax, bakers or brown paper on a small plate or baking pan
8. Pick each blob up and roll in your palms until you have a small ball coated in powder. 1/2” to 3/4”
9. Place balls on the paper. Make sure they don't touch.
10. Place plate or pan with balls into the fridge and chill for an hour or more till harder.
11. Sprinkle an airtight container with the same powder you used on the balls and store them in the fridge. If you make a large batch you may need to sprinkle powder between layers like Turkish Delight.

Although there is fresh cream in the recipe, sugar is a preservative, so they will last a long time in the fridge if you keep your fingers out of the container. Ingredients can be substituted for other types of sugar, dairy, non dairy fluid and chocolate powder, just bear in mind you need to bind it, so a few drops of oil, butter, or whipped egg white may be required if you are using coarser or more liquid ingredients. You can even add fine coconut, nuts, oatmeal etc. and each will give a slightly different flavor. You can even form the paste around a glace cherry or roasted chestnut. Let your creative juices run wild.

Enjoy!

The recipe made 34 delicious ISOLATION CHOCOLATES and I am rationing myself to one a day.

Do you have a fab, back of the cupboard/end of the month recipe? Please share.

WHAT DID PEOPLE DO BEFORE TOILET PAPER?

Ever since this pandemic caused panic buying of toilet paper, I’ve been thinking about what people did before it was invented. Every year seven billion rolls of toilet paper are used in America alone. It has bothered me for years how wastful and damaging to the environment this practise is, but while big business is in charge it wont change. Here are some clues to the past and future possibilities.

LOUIS-LÉOPOLD BOILLY - La Toilette Intime ou la Rose Effeuillée - circa 1800 

The Bidet's Revival - Invented centuries ago in France, the bidet has never taken off in the States

In the middle east communal eating makes it a custom to use the left hand for wiping and the right hand for eating. A left handed westerner that doesn't know the rules would naturally be seriously frowned upon at dinner.

Romans were known for their love of bathing and hygiene. They used natural sea sponges tied to sticks and dipped into troughs with running water.

In the interim there was always the great outdoors, using leaves and grass to clean up.

Castles started to have purpose built rooms with shafts in the 12th century and they possibly used buckets with water and their hands to clean themselves. Its amazing we have evolved into using a handshake for greeting, something we possibly need to rethink.

I’m assuming that for most of modern history, especially among the general population, clothing was the nearest thing to grab. I read somewhere that ladies used to wear seven petticoats; each day the bottom one was removed and washed and the clean one from yesterday was put on top to protect the overdress, which was rarely laundered. One can imagine what the bottom petticoat was used for.

For the very rich, the first flushing toilet was invented during Elizabethan times, but the poor carried on as they always had.

Ironically, the first known toilet paper was used in China in the 14th Century, but it didn't make it to North America till 1847 when it was purely for medical use. The general population didn't want to pay for something they could get for free. (see below)

The printing press was invented around 1440 and the demand for mass produced paper was born. Early printing was reserved for valuable books, but in 1605 the disposable newspaper was born in Germany. Very quickly people discovered what to do with the outdated sheets. From then on free pamphlets and religious tracts were all the rage and I’m sure they were well used.

In medieval cities waste was tipped into a trough that ran down the center of the streets. Communal outhouses used leaves and straw which was shovelled out regularly and dumped in the countryside.

Georgians and Victorians were famous for their chamber pots, but they gradually became more conscious of hygiene and inside toilets became more common, especially when a better system for flushing was invented by Thomas Crapper in the 1860s.

Meanwhile, in the outhouse. Dried corn cobs in water, torn up Sears catalogues and yesterdays newspaper were the norm. 

In the 1890s toilet paper took a surge with Scott eventually achieving over 50% of the market. The first toilet paper was like stiff shiny tissue paper folded into a box like modern facial tissues. It wasn’t very practical or popular. The luxury soft paper came about 50 years ago and that’s when it took off. With newspapers taking a dive since the dawn of the internet and the majority of people living in cities with sewage systems, toilet paper manufacturers have developed close to a monopoly. Hence all the panic buying. People have forgotten there are other options.

Now you know there are options will you make some life changing decisions for the sake of the environment? It doesn't have to be difficult or disgusting, there are many options on the market if you spend a little time with my pal Google. One of my pet peeves is that North American bathrooms are so tiny that its difficult to fit in a stand alone bidet, but there are other possibilities.

Follow my blog for all kinds of interesting ideas on art, health and life in general.

Hall Table Transformation

When I moved to my current home I had a vision for a beautiful, welcoming entrance way. The hallway is wide and opens onto the lounge: There are  five doors and two openings leading off it, so there is little room for decor. And so began the journey of how to furnish the one long wall. This table was a possibility. It was a rich cherry, shiny, 1990s Queen Anne style, which was totally over the top, but I was charmed by the seashell appliqués.

I love the look of chalk paint and find it a fun and gratifying task, so it was an easy choice. The table was very glossy, so first I rubbed it all over with sandpaper. Sanding isn’t usually necessary with chalk paint, but this table needed some tooth for the paint to stick. I decided to prep the top because a hall table gets a lot of abuse from keys and bags. I used some Miss Mustard Seed Bonding Agent which I purchased on Amazon. This prep is gloopy and I used a brush, so brush marks were visible when dry. I didn't sand the marks, I kinda liked it, but I would probably use a roller next time.

The color I chose is called Cascade, a lovely soft grey/turquoise which seems to look good anywhere. The brand is Folk Art Home Decor Chalk which goes on nicely, but make sure you tighten the lid and wrap in cling wrap when done as it tends to dry out easily. I had let the prep dry for a couple of days, then I applied one coat of Cascade. It’s not necessary to leave for more than a couple of days between coats, but I left mine for a few months before applying a second coat because I became busy.

After the second coat of chalk paint I covered the sides and legs with clear satin wax and then I applied a light coat of white wax around the edges and shells. Because the top of a table gets a lot of use I applied a coat of satin varnish. To match the white wax I added a touch of AntiqueWhite to some Cascade in a clean yoghurt container and stencilled some designs on the top. When that was dry I  sealed it in with another coat of varnish.

While I was in process with this table I had decided on different furniture for my hallway, so it is now ready for sale. Have you ever tried chalk paint? I find it very fast and relaxing. It is also an inexpensive way to update a piece of furniture.

Stay home - Stay safe

Spring has sprung

THE SUN STILL SHINES by Sea Dean

Somehow in all the confusion and life changing events of CoVid 19, the start of spring has gone whistling by. I didn't ever hear any of the reporters mention it. Apparently the start of spring in the northern hemisphere is March 1st and the Astronomical start was Thursday, March 19, 11:50 am Eastern Daylight time. That would be 2:50pm where I live and according to my schedule I was busy working on an emergency phone list if I succumb.

However I discovered it was spring when a group of Canada Geese flew in for a quick dip in my creek. They make an almighty racket so its hard to miss them. Some of the noises really do sound like the honking of an 18 wheeler horn. 

Stay home, Stay safe

Furniture and Finishing

I have waaay too much furniture in process in my studio and around the house. Some is half finished and some is a figment of my imagination. However chances are that I will have plenty of time to get some painted over the next few months.

New seat covers - Chairs now ready for sale

These chairs came with a used table I fell in love with. I have a mega excess of chairs, so these have to go. They came with a ghastly set of covers made from old T-shirts, so they had to go. I unscrewed the seats and removed about 3,000 staples from the shirts. The original covers were mostly in great shape, except one had pen or paint marks on it. Drat!

So I then purchased a meter of beige micro fibre fabric and cut it into four squares. I positioned each square on top of the padding, turned each seat over and folded the corners into place underneath. A quick staple with a gun to hold each corner in place. Then one along each side while pulling the fabric taught. Tidying each corner with two more staples each and one more between each of the side staples for a total of 24 staples per seat. A quick flip, then screwing the seats back into place and voila! A beautiful set of chairs ready for resale.

I have at least 3 months worth of things like this to amuse myself while I’m  self isolating. I would love to hear what you are doing with all the extra time.

Stay home - Stay safe.

Fashion or Fashioning

Red Doll by Sea Dean 

I gave up sewing my own clothes about 20 years ago. Although I didn't know it at the time, that was probably when my spinal arthritis began and the radiating pain just became too much for me. I used to love designing my own clothes and watching a sketch turn into a three dimensional piece of wearable art, my sister still does. It’s sort of a family thing; my grandmother wasn’t a dressmaker, she was a trained tailor and my niece studied fashion design at Uni. Perhaps that is part of my fascination for manikins.

BlueDoll by Sea Dean

However, when my mum went into care all of her clothing had to be marked. We were told that ‘most places’ accepted written labels but they didn't like them because they faded, so we chose professionally printed labels and started sewing them in. My sister did most of the first batch. Every sock, every quilt, every scarf, every glove, every pillow etc., all had to be marked. I think we ordered 200 printed labels at first thinking it was waaay too many, but now we are half way through our second order. So thats how I came to be sitting at my desk sewing.

Art Lover in process SOLD

I mostly use a machine to do this, but some of Mums pants needed shortening and the stretch fabric wasn't co-operating so I grabbed a needle and thread and started hem stitching. The sunshine was streaming through the window, the squirrels were chasing each other in the trees and the creek was glistening. I was about half way around the second pant leg when I realized I was really enjoying the experience. 

CoVid19 has put me and many others into isolation and brought all kinds of other stresses, but there are some benefits, like actually having time to enjoy a bit of sewing.

Stay home - Stay safe

SPATTER - Coffee Series II

SPATTER - Coffee Series II by Sea Dean

As I’ve said before, I’m a bit of a ludite when it comes to technology. However, it’s mainly because I don't have time than a philosophy. I am a trained Batista, so I’m old school when it comes to brewing coffee. i was horrified when automatic expresso machines came along and amused by the Keurig phenomena (the one that had the best advertising wins, not the one with the best product).

I have a large collection of coffee making equipment from Bodums, to drips (yuk) to presses, to an amazing Vietnamese one cup manual drip that uses condensed milk (a must try). By far my favorite, until it started to leak, was an old Melita one cup which used round tea bag like pods. Recently I visited an up market airbnb that had a Nespresso and I was impressed, so now a convert, I purchased one when my old workhorse died.

If anyone else has a Nespresso you know it’s not easy to find pods and the compatibles are nowhere near as good as the name brand pods, which can only be ordered online. I have now tried at least 10 grocery store compatibles and the only one that was decent was Starbucks decaf which is also the only one with an agreement with Nespresso and has near identical pods. I’m not a fan of Starbucks but they do make great decaf and apparently great Nespresso compatible pods.

I digress. After the recent success of my image, MY CUP RUNNETH OVER, I’ve decided to mount a series with the eventual goal of holding a themed exhibition. Here is #1 and #2 in the series.

MY CUP RUNNETH OVER

CARWASH III - Carwash Series

CARWASH III by Sea Dean

I would love to mount an exhibition of these works. I love the brilliant colours. That blue is gorgeous.

Carwash II - Carwash Series

CARWASH II by Sea Dean

I particularly like this one. It has a figurative nature, almost angelic. I also love that it is almost pure black and white, something I find so difficult to stick to when painting.

Carwash I - Carwash Series

CARWASH 1

A series of digital images taken with an iPad inside a car being auto washed.

I love the soft colours and texture of this image. It almost feels like you are having a nice soapy shower. An endless source of conversation. Limited Editions available by contacting me.

Commonwealth Day 2020

True North

UK Flag

Although it isn't a national holiday in Canada, I think it is important to note that there is such a thing as Commonwealth Day. After Queen Victorias death in 1901, Empire Day was celebrated  on her birthday, 24th May to remind people around the Empire that they had a common bond. Around this time 100 years ago, Empire Day was quite a celebration, but it became unfashionable.

The name Empire Day, was changed to Commonwealth Day in 1958 and in 1973 the timing was changed to the second Monday in March. In England Commonwealth Day is marked by Queen Elizabeth II attending a service at Westminster Abbey and giving a speech which is broadcast around the world.

In Canada, from dawn to dusk, the Royal Union Flag or Union Jack, is flown alongside the Canada Flag on government buildings. The paintings above are my tribute to our Commonwealth and are available in my shop at Daily Paintworks.

Thankfully, in Canada, we have retained the original date as a separate holiday called Victoria Day and it usually marks the beginning of summer activities and in particular, planting our garden annuals. Queen Victoria would have loved that.

GNH or Gross National Happiness

As I enter my third age, that of so called retirement, I have been pondering what I really want to plan for my next 10 years. When I dedicated the last 10 years to art in 2010, I had no idea of the challenges ahead, and I suspect I have no idea of the challenges ahead in the next 10 years, but I do want them to be happy and involve plenty of fun.

In contemplating the idea of happiness, I remember that one country in the world actually has it written into their constitution. The phrase “Gross National Happiness” contrary to most countries “Gross National Product”, was initiated in 1976 by then King of Bhutan, Jigme_Singye_Wangchuck. The tiny, landlocked nation leads the world with their desire to nurture a happy population. Read more about it here. Wikepedia.

As I look back, almost my entire life had been dedicated to helping friends and relatives stay in the happy zone. That hasn’t necessarily lead to my own happiness, especially when caring for aging parents and friends: There is a modicum of pleasure, knowing that you are making their life a little better, but it doesn't involve the type of unbounded joy I experienced when young. Personal aging and health issues also leave a toll on mental, emotional and physical well being. I’m not even sure that unbounded joy is what I want to experience, as it seems a little unhinged. I’m open to all possibilities though.

REACH FOR THE STARS by Sea Dean 

I do think that unless an opportunity for fun and pleasure is built into the schedule, it will be passed over or totally ignored amongst the busyness of life. Therefore, for the past year I have actually started scheduling in fun, pleasure and happiness. My schedule is color coded, so I made the fun color bright yellow for joy. Every day I check my life balance and if I see too little yellow in my schedule, I look for some joyful things to add. It may be a walk by the lake, thrift shopping, a ballet performance, lunch or just chatting with a friend. It has made a difference in my well being, and I encourage everyone to give it a try. Squeeze out a few moments to nurture your own happiness.

Bistro Table Top in Chalk Paint

BISTRO TABLE TOP by Sea Dean

Its nice to do something different after an intense 30 days being creative. I set my theme as birds and nests. I produced some good saleable pieces and a few that still need some work. However, I now have a backlog of furniture pieces to refinish, some I’ve been working on during the challenge, but they need finishing, others are just waiting in my imagination.

One piece just needs varnishing; it is table top for a wine barrel that I’m repurposing into a bistro table. It used to be an ugly gloss brown. First I coated it with light taupe and added a faux wood look in brown. I wasn't keen on the look, so set it aside for inspiration. During the challenge I gave it a couple of coats of Americana Decor Chalky Finish in Primitive. I wanted it to be more decorative, so I went through all my stencils and chose a leafy pattern. I taped the stencil down and stippled it with a brush lightly coated with Folk Art Home Decor Chalk in Castle. I wanted the effect to be a bit rough looking so I was pleased that the slightly too fluid chalk paint had created indistinct edges.

When my chalk furniture involves a table top I always finish with varnish rather than wax to give extra durability. I will probably do this in satin.

BLUE HORIZON

BLUE HORIZON by Sea Dean 8 x 10 inches 2011-2020

I found this 2011 canvas panel painting while I was spring cleaning my studio. I decided to add to it. I was amazed at how quickly I could critique and adjust. I suppose 9 years of professional artistry teaches you something. I’m very happy with it now. Pop it into a frame and it will grace any home.

COLLAGE of 30 Day Challenge

IMAGE GUESSING COMPETITION WINNERS BELOW...

Four people managed to find the way to my blog or FB Messaging and send me some guesses for the photo below. Of course if you made it to the blog the answer was in the title, but kudos for putting in the effort. Out of four people three made two guesses, so I have seven answers to choose between. There were two correct guesses and five very creative.

Laurelle Cidoncha and Christine Brooks guessed correctly, that it was the dregs of my morning coffee, so you get joint first prize.
Sheila Delgado with Marshmellow Moonglow and
Corinne Bekker with Tolkeins Moria Mountain, both get a prize for most creative.

So you all win! PM me your addresses and your gifts will be on their way.