Ranch Style Beans ~ Black Bean Salsa ~ Blog Artist Food Network ~ Nancy Standlee

10" x 11" Watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb. paper, Pen and Ink
In a previous post on my art blog and on the Artist Food Network I talked about the De Leon Peach and Melon Festival that is held the first full weekend each August.
To read the rest of the post please click on the Artist Food Network and you will find the recipe.

Red Watermelon ~ Poppy Seed Dressing ~ P & M Festival ~ De Leon, TX. ~ Art Blog Collage Painting ~ Nancy Standlee

$55.00
9 x 12 Acrylic collage on gallery wrapped canvas,
1 3/8" depth profile
(Originally posted on the Artist Food Network)

Watermelon is one of the world’s most perfect foods. I served it to daughter’s family about a week ago and had it sliced when they arrived. Upon seeing the table my daughter quipped “Oh, I see you’re using your redneck placemats today” referring to the newspapers I had spread out to catch the drips. I started really looking at the arrangement with the red watermelon and black and white of the paper and I grabbed my camera and started shooting. I liked the look and decided to use a piece of newspaper for a collage. I've painted over it so not too much of the paper if visible but it is below the watermelons. I used the Fort Worth Star Telegram but as an afterthought, I should have used the De Leon Free Press. This is the result. Watermelon can stand alone. It doesn’t t need any special presentation. Some foods need ornaments and garnishes and sauces but with watermelon you just need some watermelon and a place to sit.

That’s what will be going on at the De Leon Peach and Melon Festival this weekend of August 10, 2007.

The Annual De Leon Peach and Melon Festival is one of America's premier family celebrations, with truly something for everyone who comes to this small town in the heart of Texas' melon country.

Over the past 92 years, the celebration has become a tradition for local residents, as well as for the 20,000 annual visitors the Festival brings to this community of just over 2,400 persons located 90 miles from Fort Worth, Waco, & Abilene equally.

The four evenings of the first week of August showcase entertainers, unique family events, a Street Parade, an old-fashioned carnival, and lots of good-tasting watermelon, Arts and Crafts Exhibits & local food vendors. Auxiliary events connected with the Festival include an earth-shaking tractor pull, one of Texas' best bike rides, a sanctioned "42" Tournament and a downtown celebration.

I enjoy meeting at the elementary cafeteria on Sat. morning at 10:00 for an all school reunion and discover who is the oldest ex-student there or one who has traveled the farthest. We sing Oskee-wow-wow De Leon (that will have to take a separate post!!!) and recognize the 50 year class and they get to sit on the stage. In the afternoon there is a seed spitting contest and then.. ...hold on, you go downtown sit in a folding chair if you have one, on the curb if you don’t and watch as the big trucks and trailers bring in ice cold watermelon that are yours for the stroll over to the middle of the street where you are handed one from one of De Leon's many gracious P & M volunteers.

Return to your spot and good for you if you brought some silverware and your salt shaker but dig in and keep eating until all of the melons are unloaded. Later you’ll have to scatter because the firetrucks will slowly pass by and spraying away those stray chunks and seeds and juice.

If you enjoy this kind of small town hospitality and are considering a move or a holiday, check with the Chamber of Commerce. I graduated high school in 1954 and I don’t know very many but our class of about 33 try to get together sometime during the yearly festival. One precious thing about my classmates is their lovely spirits haven't changed but our bodies are betraying us but I still see them as they were and I even remember their handwriting. It was a typical small town experience back in the 50's where everyone knew you were Boss and Marie's daughter and they could and would be reached if necessary. It is one trip I look forward to in August. You plan your trips carefully in Texas in August. When my father was living, he would go early on parade day and park his pickup under a shade tree and later we'd join him and sit in lawn chairs in the pickup bed for the best view and time in the city. I'd insist he "make the drag" before traveling up the street a few blocks to home just to make sure I got to wave and yell at anyone I might recognize. The DeLeon's motto:

"Busiest Town - Friendliest People"

Now for the recipe. I know I said watermelon can stand on it's own but if you want to dress it up a poppy seed dressing could be added to a mix of summer fruits of watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, or pineapple chunks. To see my poppy painting click HERE.

POPPY SEED DRESSING

• 1/3 TO 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1 t. ground mustard or prepared mustard
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1 T. onion grated
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 t. to 1 T. of poppy seeds, or to taste
• Whisk together all ingredients except the poppy seeds or put in a blender/food processor
• If using a processor, blend ingredients and add oil slowly and add seeds after blending
• Keep refrigerated. It's also great with a spinach and toasted pecan salad.
  

Other blogs where I post:

http://artistfoodnetwork.blogspot.com

http://canvasbycanvas.blogspot.com

http://myspace.com/nancystandlee

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Eat Well ~ Paint Your Food ~ Laugh Often

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Mango ~ Mango Salsa ~ Calorie-Count ~ Calorie Talk

$100 will be in the FWCAC during December.
9" x 11" can be cropped to an 8 x 10 to fit a standard frame
unmatted and unframed
Watercolor on 140 CP watercolor paper

(This was posted today on Artist Food Network)

I met my first mango in Barbados in the 80's and I've been in love ever since. Today's recipe will feature the mango in the BEST salsa ever. It is delish on a piece of grilled salmon or if you can take the calories, some tortilla chips.. I have a great recipe for salmon to post later and both foods are lower in calories. A cup of mango has about 100 calories plus 3 gms. of fiber, but you will not be able to prepare only one without some bites so buy 2 or 3 and I will usually add an extra one to the salsa recipe. Eat one..Add two.

Mango, Tomato and Avocado Salsa

1 or 2 mangoes, peeled and diced

1 avocado, peeled and diced

4 medium tomatoes, diced

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (canned is ok)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 Tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving or just go ahead and have a bowl of it now.

Why all this calorie talk today? The CBC girls were dining at a local barbecue hangout when we observed so many overweight people and then looked at ourselves and decided this was the summer to take action. Some of us are taking more action than others but since the committed ones threw $50 in a pool, weight control has become a little more interesting. We will know the outcome of our weight wars in September and I think I'm in a losing battle so I joined Calorie-Count this morning and set up my profile. There seems to be good support here and the means to enter a favorite recipe to give the nutritional count. I have added their tool bar and it is so convenient to add foods eaten and then the "Eat Meter" will register the day's food intake.

Other blogs where I post:
http://artistfoodnetwork.blogspot.com
http://canvasbycanvas.blogspot.com
http://marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com

TO PURCHASE PAINTINGS: Go to Paypal at:
Nancy Standlee Art Blog

Eat Well ~ Paint Your Food ~ Laugh Often

Tomato Soup ~ La Madeleine's Tomato Basil Soup ~ Daily Recipes ~ Daily Painting

$60.00
6 x 8 Acrylic collage on canvas board
(This was originally posted on the Artist Food Network and is repeated here.)
Bonjour! Our CBC group met at Karen's for a painting weekend. I provided this soup that was a big hit and Cindy Campbell made some delicious cheese sandwiches to accompany the soup. This was in 2006 and the weather was cool and we photographed our food. Now Karen has recently moved back to town. We will all miss our visits to the country. She had a large home in the country with a special room with what I called the "Snow White Room" because it had all these beds lined up dormitory style for us to sleep in and didn't mind when we all set up to paint in her living room.
But if we need a quick Tomato Basil Soup we head to La Mad's in Arlington where we can enjoy great conversation and fresh, delicious food. This restaurant opened in Dallas in 1982 and is another Texas tradition and serves classic French country fare. Now there are more than 60 locations across the U.S.
La Madeleine's Tomato Basil Soup
Serves 8
4 cups (8-10) tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped, or 4 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed
4 cups tomato juice or part tomato juice and part vegetable or chicken stock
12 to 14 washed fresh basil leaves
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 lb. sweet unsalted butter
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Combine tomatoes, tomato juice or tomato juice mixture in saucepan. Simmer 30 minutes. Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender or food processor.
Return to saucepan and add cream, butter and pepper and salt and while stirring, over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.
Nutritional analysis per serving from the 1995 Star-Telegram: 248 calories, 23 grams fat, 72 milligrams cholesterol, 457 milligrams sodium, 83 % of calories from fat.
If you like recipes, you'll like All Recipes. http://allrecipes.com/ I found this similar Tomato Basil Soup here and rest assured there are not many dishes out there you can't find a recipe for. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rich-and-Creamy-Tomato-Basil-Soup/Detail.aspx and be assured if it's gotten 263 reviews and 4 1/2 stars it's a good recipe. But note it gives 1/2 cup of butter hence - more rich and creamy! Hint for printing: Go to advanced options and remove advertisements and add nutritional information.
And I hate it, hate it when someone thinks their recipe is original and won't share it. In my early wifehood (just arthood at present) a guest at a large dinner party served her tomato pudding and amidst the raves said "Oh, I don't give out this as it's an old family recipe that just stays in the family". #$%&#!!. It took me days but I found one similar enough. So much for the only one of a kind. This is just my feelings and I'm sure it's not shared by all, but I feel highly complimented if someone says, "Can you give me your recipe?". "Well, yes Ma'am, I sure can." In fact CBC feels so strongly about sharing, we're asking all our artist friends to share their recipe and their favorite painting so if you like food and art please send your friends an email telling them about us and what we're up to.
Paint Your Food, Eat Well, and Laugh Often!
Other blogs where I post: http://artistfoodnetwork.blogspot.com/ http://canvasbycanvas.blogspot.com/ http://marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com/ TO PURCHASE PAINTINGS: Go to Paypal on http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com/

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