Can you feel it?
Spring is in the air! Garden visits, fresh salsa and studio projects to start off the month of April!
I love walks in the early spring, looking for hints of color and life among the remains of winter. On a recent walk, I spotted lots of happy yellow crocuses, a tiny iris, and a dog waiting for his kid to come home from school… the busses were just loading up a block away and his eyes were glued in that direction.
Studio happenings
I’m trying to get as much accomplished in the studio as I can in the next few weeks because I know once the weather turns a bit nicer, it’s going to be nearly impossible to work near a window without going outside. On another one of my walks, I saw a little skunk wandering around in the bushes, looking for a snack which inspired this painting…
The adorable little watercolor set to the left of the painting came from Kelly Jo Anderson over at Acorn and Thistle. We participated in an art exchange hosted by Anne Butera, and Kelly included it in the package she sent me!
I’ve also been working on some little sets of animal watercolors. These fox paintings will be available in my Etsy shop as soon as I finish them up. You can follow my Instagram page to see when I list them, or if you have subscribed to this newsletter, you’ll get advanced notice!
In the Kitchen
This is my mango salsa recipe that I whip up on taco nights. I discovered a little shortcut recently- I’ve been using frozen mango chunks in place of fresh mango. It saves a little time and it’s less messy than pitting and cutting up a whole mango. For this recipe, I chop up 2 tomatoes, one jalapeno, 1/2 of a red onion, 1/2 of a green pepper, 4 or 5 stalks of cilantro (use the stems, too!) and either one whole peeled and pitted mango, or a large handful of frozen mango chunks cut into bit sized pieces. Place all ingredients in a bowl, add the juice of one lime, salt to taste (I use about 1/4 tsp) and stir.
And Finally…
In the last newsletter I shared a house favorite with you, Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. In the next week or two I’m hoping to try out this recipe that popped up on my Pinterest feed: Chicken Fried Cauliflower. I’ve never tried this recipe, so no promises, but it looks amazing.
I’m reading Lessons in Chemistry and loving it. If, like I am, you are late to this party, here’s your invite. Find this book and read it.
This video about how to make little mushrooms out of polymer clay was a fun craft to do with kids (and some adults!)
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What a delightful post Tara! So uplifting and filled with goodness. Your little paintings are adorable! And your salsa looks yummy. Happy Easter Weekend! xx 🌷🐇