Onion Pizza

Onion and Cheese Pizza Right Out of the Oven

Sticking with the onion theme I wanted to share with you one of my favorite pizza recipes for Onion and Cheese Pizza that I posted quite awhile ago on my old blog Threads of Wonder.  The pizza has a homemade whole wheat crust, mustard, caramelized onions and fontina cheese.  Don't be thrown by the mustard - it gives a nice tang which is offset by the sweetness of the onions and the saltiness of the cheese.  If I could still eat dairy I would be making this tonight.  Here is the link to the recipe.

What's in Your Stash?

It's time for some stash busing!

I know I said I wasn't going to make any resolutions but I have been thinking seriously about ways to clear out some of my stash. 2015 is going to be the year! As I mentioned in my previous post I like to do a lot of different things so I have yarn, fabric, beads and buttons, paper, photos, found objects, hand carved stamps and all the tools and equipment needed for creating with all these gems.  Plus, with the advent of Pinterest, one of my favorite sites of all time, I'm always filled with new ideas.  My studio is tiny so bringing in more materials makes what space I do have a challenge.  So, I've decided to start shopping my stash.  In addition to that I believe I will start filling my etsy shop, which has sat forlornly empty, with the creations!  

Sandy Leigh at Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch was thinking the same thing and came up with a Stash Dash and five simple rules to help out.  If you're thinking you might need a little stash dash head on over to her blog and see her plan.

I'm going to undertake some book making and use the amazing Japanese calendar that's in the top image for the covers.  It's a really large calendar so I should be able to make several Japanese ledgers.  I'll post pictures when I get them done.

What is the most interesting thing in your stash?  What are you going to do with it?

Yarn stash--some great colors in there!

Staying True

Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon

I just finished reading Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon, a small book and a quick read.  It made me want to run to the studio and kitchen and start making stuff.  The book is filled with little bits of wisdom and witticism that anyone that creates can relate to.  My favorite piece was called "Don't throw away any of yourself."  The idea is that we all have multiple interests and we shouldn't leave one behind to only pursue the other.  Eventually you'll feel like you've lost a part of yourself.

This struck home for me because I love being in the kitchen cooking away, the studio stitching like a crazy person and the garden watching it all happen.  When I read articles about blogging and choosing one focus it makes me a little nutty.  I'm not sure what to leave out because it wouldn't be me if I had to cut out the others.  This is not a new problem for me.  I went to art school to study textiles thinking I would then narrow down my focus.  Unfortunately I came away having had an amazing time but about a zillion more tricks in my bag.  Afterwards I was not a fun person to live with because I kept trying to figure out what path to take.  I eventually decided to focus on something where I could use as many techniques as I wanted.  Austin Kleon gave me permission to revel in it all.  I'm grateful.

Onions

Assortment of onions - yellow, white and red, shallots, pearl and green.

I've been thinking for awhile about posting some kitchen basics.  Utensils and kitchen equipment were a possibility but settled on foods I can't be without.  On the top of my list is onions.  Most of my favorite dishes start with sauteing some onion....soup, curry, pasta sauce and hamburgers get topped with a large helping of sweet fried onions. They are versatile and can be eaten in every way imaginable from strong and raw all the way to golden brown, sticky, caramelized deliciousness. 

One of the major drawbacks in cutting onions is the burning and crying that results from the chemical allyl sulfate that is released.  Using a sharp knife helps but I have been known to wear my swimming goggles if I have a large number of onions to dice.  It looks weird but it doesn't sting! On the bright side the more allyl sulfate an onion contains the longer its shelf life.

Roasting is one of my favorite ways to prepare most any vegetable, and onions are no exception. I tried these out and they were delicious.  However, I must warn you the oven temp is very high  and it caused a bit of a calamity when all of our smoke detectors went off.  I hope the tasty soup I'm going to make with these will make my husband happier than the alarms did.

These would be great served as an appetizer with Ranch dressing or a great addition to soup, pizza or pasta.

Roasted Onions

Roasted Onions

3-4 white onions, peeled

4 Tablespoons olive oil

*Preheat oven to 475 F

Put 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a 9 x 13 pan and coat the bottom and sides.

Cut the bottom off of the onions so they will stand upright.  Cut an X into the top without cutting all the way through.  Oil the outside of each onion.  

Roast for 30 minutes.  Check to see if there is still oil in the bottom of pan and drizzle the remaining oil in pan and onto onions.  Roast for 10-15 minutes more.  

They may be charred at the tips but just cut the blackened parts off.  

Onions ready to go into the oven.

Hello 2015!

Before the new year arrived I was hearing a lot about whether to make resolutions.  Some suggested that instead of making resolutions make goals.  I'm not exactly sure what the difference is. Others chose to have nothing to do with any of it.  My sister-in-law has been simplifying her life by downsizing her belongings and eliminating activities she doesn't find fulfilling, a laudable goal and I am inspired by her.  So, I pondered that for a bit.  If I had made resolutions/goals/whatever they would be the usual. You know, eat healthier, exercise more, blog more, clear some clutter, learn all sorts of new things - a language, perhaps. Actually the mere act of going through this list makes me cranky.  A new year does make me want to begin something new and different.  Unlike my sister in-law I kind of like stuff.  Except the stuff in this drawer.  It is a mess. My resolution, it turns out, is to clean out this kitchen drawer.  Perhaps tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas Magic

A little vintage holiday sparkle!

 Wishing you a sparkly holiday season!