Saturday, May 22, 2010

Art Contest GiveAway Winner...

After carefully reviewing all contest entries we here at Rachel In Full Color have made our selection and we are ready to announce that


The Winner is.......
(drum roll please)


ROB AND DEBBIE

We felt that their answer was perfect and one that should be celebrated. Their item allowed them to stay longer in order to have more quality one on one time with nature cherishing the trees.
CONGRATS ROB AND DEBBIE


This little beauty will be on it's way to you very soon.



Like our last contest give away, this one was also designed for a specific purpose. I wanted to get you thinking a little more simply. You don't have to spend money to have an adventure. All it takes is a little time and the closest park you can get your feet on. Take a friend or just go by yourself, just you and the dog. Don't have a dog? Perhaps you can borrow one from a neighbor who doesn't have time, or a family member who just had a baby. No matter how you get there or who you get there with, I promise you will feel so much lighter and happier just by being out in the fresh air. Nothing clears a hectic mind or eases the tension in the shoulders like a nice simple stroll through nature.

You never know what you will discover once you step out your front door.


If you need a little encouragement, then think on this...
You are no good to anyone when you're battery light is flashing "LOW".
So step out, relflect and recharge. I promise it won't hurt a bit.



As always, anyone who wishes to lodge a complaint about our choice for winner is encouraged to contact our "Customer Service" Dept. She'll try to make you feel better but we'd like to warn you that you will probably end up giving Her a hug and a pep talk instead!


Monday, May 17, 2010

It's GiveAway Time Again...

It's about time I got around to sharing a little art with you don't you think? Since moving here to Northern Virginia I haven't produced much art but here's one I'm pretty proud of. If you're a long time reader of this blog you will know about my mother's adventures with painting in acrylic. She's amazing at it and as would follow such great talent, award winning as well! If you didn't see my post about it then you can click HERE ! Needless to say, she inspired me to pick up a brush and tubes of paint and just do it already! This little beauty was inspired by a stroll along the Blue Bell path at Bull Run park located in Manassas VA. You can click HERE to revisit that post if you'd like.
A detail shot for you.

This is an acrylic painting that has been sealed so no need for glass. It's meant to sit on a shelf or table. The image measures 5x7" and the outside of the frame measures 7 1/2 x 9 12".
This contest is open to EVERYONE. Here's how it works. I pose a question and you simply post your answer here in the comments section. We here at Rachel In Full Color will pick our favorite answer from the group and that winner will recieve this gorgeous Rachel Original in the mail! Simple as that!
Are you read for your question?
If you could only carry one item with you on a stroll through the woods, what would it be and why?
( This contest will remain open until Midnight Friday May 21st.)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Tomatoes, Pulled Pork and 10yrs of Marriage...

Today The Bear and I spent a lazy day doing what we like best, walking through a park with Wee The Wonder Dog. We drove over to Manassas and took a little stroll and Wee wandered and sniffed around. The weather was beautiful and everyone we encountered was in good spirits. This was the only photo I snapped because some days you're just having too good of a time to pause and *snap*. After the park we stopped at our favorite Farmer's Market and picked up some very delish tomatoes and a loaf of bread to make sandwiches later. Then on the way home we stopped at little road side place that's only open on the weekends and picked up some Carolina Pulled Pork and Ribs to bring home and dine on. What a delicious adventure. Wee kept licking her lips and staring at the pork container! Mmm, finger licking good.
When we got home we settled in and dove into our delicious food. Wee even got to nibble on a rib! After dinner I took Wee for a little stroll down the street and look what we found. I had to come in and get my camera to capture them. How adorable.

Today marks our 10 year Anniversary and we spent it just how we like it, together, out in nature and enjoying a great meal at home. Ya, we are an old married couple and we like it just fine!
(Sadly I have almost no pics of us in the same photo so this one is from June 2008 at our friend's wedding)

Do Squirrels Nap?...

Well apparently they do! Who knew? Sitting on my porch on a lazy Sunday afternoon and I happen to look up. Hmm, there's something a little weird about that "lump".
Some days just call for a nice little nap.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

It's a Hard Knock Life...

I thought I would share some random pics with you of the many faces of our little Wee. I promise I did not pose here for any of these pics. These are all of The Wee in her natural habitat. Taking a nap with Shaun the Sheep.

Not sure if she should send that email or not.

Sliding down the slippery slope of sleep.

Um, What? I thought you said...Oh never mind.

Our Customer Service Dept. hard at work.

Some days you just need to rope in a buddy. Wee has had that stuffed puppy since she was a teeny baby. They are best buds and never go anywhere without each other.
What kind of pet drama do you have in you life?






Woolly Bear Adventure, Part 3...

This has proven to be the toughest photo challenge I think I've had to date. Please accept my apologies right here at the start for the photos. This little guy chose a really tough locale for photos.

Lets take a peek shall we? On Saturday May 8th our little guys started to spin a little home for himself. Let me tell you it was a very slooooooow process indeed. No time lapse photography here like on the nature channel.
He started to "knit" together some leaves around himself by the side of his "house" which made for some challenging photography.

Can you see his fuzzy/furry black shape?

He's all nicely tucked in there, all comfy.

There's a close-up of the leaves he "knitted" together. You can see the web sticking the two leaves together where they meet. This view is looking down from above, he's directly under these leaves.
Over the course of a week's time my Woolly slowly started to slow down until he barely moved at all and I began to wonder if he was dead since nothing seemed to be happening. Well I awoke this morning to find this!!...

He had just, right before I peaked in on him, popped his skin off! Here he is all freshly shed and now in his pupa phase! It's simply amazing! I mean really, The Bear and I paused for a moment last night to take a peak right before we went to bed and he was looking the same as the first photos posted here, no change. Now he's all bright and shiny and new. AMAZING! I can't say it enough, I'm speechless.

I was really happy that I was even able to take this picture. This was really hard but so very worth it because in just a short couple of hours he turned all black.

Here he is a few hours later after he's turned black. I thought the other pictures were hard to capture, no, this one was way harder since the light no longer shines through him.

In this picture you can see his "skin" that has now shrunk and is on the end of him on the left there. You can still see some of his prickly skin.
According to what I've read, it will take several weeks for him to emerge as a Giant Leopard Moth. So now all there is to do is sit and wait. Rest assured that I'll let you know the moment he comes out from his slumber.
Time Line:
April 21st-Scooped up Woolly from the porch
May 1st-Second Photo Shoot
May 8th-Woolly started to "knit" leaves together
May 14th-Woolly turned into Pupa

Friday, May 14, 2010

Woolly Bear Adventure, Part 2...

Second Woolly Bear photo shoot! I gathered up this little guy from my porch on April 21st and he's been doing very well. Eating tons and very active. If you missed the first post Woolly Bear Adventure, Part 1 then you should go and check it out. These pictures were taken 11 days after I first scooped him up. He spent his days sleeping either under a little self made leaf tent or under the top ridge of his Bug House.
Over the 11 days he started to get a little used to me. I could open his house and pet him without him getting scared and rolling into a protective ball. Aren't his little feeties so darn adorable?

One evening I reached in and he just crawled right on to my hand. It's the most amazing feeling when a wild creature from out in nature trusts you enough to go crawling around on your hand, knowing that you won't harm it.

How beautiful nature is. Thank you Mom. If it weren't for you I wouldn't have even taken a second glance at this little guy when he walked on by. I love you.
At this point I had no idea how long it would have with my little Woolly Bear before he started to turn. At this point he's still very active and shows no signs of slowing down.
Stay tuned and see what lies just around the corner.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

White Beans and Greens...

Okay, I know, alright already! For all of you who have been waiting with baited breath, here it is, the recipe you've all heard me talking about for a long time. Well here it is in technicolor! Yeah that's right, in full color! Sorry, I don't have smell O vision yet.

I have a hard time repeating recipes but this one has become a staple. I want to reiterate that I only only pass along a recipe that is "Bear Approved".

Here is the ingredient list...
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 sm Shallots (finely chopped)
2 cloves Garlic (finely chopped
1Lb Mustard Greens (washed, cleaned and trimmed)
1 Lemon Juiced
2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
14.5 oz Veg Broth or Stock
28oz. Diced Tomatoes (undrained)
(2) 15oz Cans White Beans (I use Cannellini)
(Instructions on the cooking process to follow at the end) Unfortunately I found that I didn't photograph all the ingredients on the list and I also realized that I pictured "Stewed" tomatoes in this picture. Once I went to add them I realized my mistake and changed the can to actual Diced Tomatoes that the recipe called for.
Here are my finely chopped shallots and garlic. Do you like my knife? Bear bought it for me a little while back and I absolutely LOVE it. I use it every day!

Since my local grocery didn't have Mustard Greens I was forced to use Kale instead but the process is the same. You take the Greens and you rinse them then you trim them to bite/mouth size pieces removing the thick heavy stem part. Mmm, yummy.

This is how it looks when you had the first pot full of greens.

Mmmm, the greens are starting to wilt.

After photographing the initial ingredients I realized that I had neglected to show some of the ingredients like lemon juice and bay leaf.

Mmmm, this is the pot almost ready to eat. All I have to do at this point is scoop it out and put it in my belly!

Ready for my tummy!

This recipe never lasts long around here. We LOVE our veggies in this house. So with out further ado, here are the directions...
Heat oil in a large pot over md-low heat.
Add the shallots and cook for 4 mins.
Add the garlic and greens and cook stirring unil the greens wilt, about 3-5 mins
Add Lemon juice, brown sugar, bay leaf, red pepper, broth and tomatoes w/juice.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until greens are tender, (not soggy) about 10-15mins
Add beans and cook till heated through.
Remove bay leaf.
Season with S&P if desired.
ENJOY!
This is really a yummy recipe that is so easy to make and is so nutritious. I encourage all my readers ot go out and make this delicious pot of nummy goodness for themselves and their loved ones.
What tastey recipes have you made recently?
(as always, if you find a problem with my recipe please let me know.)