More Merry Making Than Art Making

Look at the sweet little felt birdie I got from my friend Pat for Christmas! I wish it were tagged or carded a bit better so I could give the artist who created it credit. Pat purchased it at the 2 Friends Gallery because it came it a cute, red bag with their card on it. The cool thing about 2 Friends is that they give 10% of all sales to a different non-profit organization each month.

We also gave and received honey for the Holiday! The lighter color honey on the left is from our friend in Homer, AK who makes a pure Fireweed & Clover variety under the name Kachemak Mountain Dew Honey Co. The other handled jar is Orange Blossom Pure Arizona Honey from The Honeyman.

Not a whole lot of artmaking going on this week but plenty of eating, drinking, and merry making! Kristen is down from UAF and with us through New Years. She and Derek want to ski in Alyeska’s annual New Year's eve Torchlight Parade. We're hoping it cools off a bit

(strange for some of you to read, I know!) and snow. It has been an unseasonably balmy 40 degrees and rainy the last few days. Yes, that’s my stocking feet horizontal on the sofa, along with my constant companions, Tauzer Schnauzer and Sugar puppy. I did get up and make some delicious Rhubarb Apple Strudel. Pat (who gave me the birdie) gave me a recipe from our other friend Amanda’s Rhubarb book “Every Which Way With Rhubarb.” Pat had some left over frozen Rhubarb from her garden she gifted us

and Daddy-O is crazy for Rhubarb. I’m not a very good baker (though I am in my mind...) and stick to easy to succeed recipes and this is one of them! Yaaay for Daddy-O and me because there are only a couple of pieces of this Strudel left. It really is easy –here is the recipe:

Filling:

2 cups rhubarb, thinly sliced

3 sweet apples, finely chopped

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemon zest (I used orange peel)

3 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons Minute tapioca, dry from the box

Pastry:

12 sheets phyllo dough (I bought the Safeway frozen brand and it was OK, though not too buttery)

½ cup melted butter (I used waaaaay more)

¾ cup pecans, finely chopped

Combine the first six filling ingredients with ½ cup of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer for 12 minutes. Stir in tapioca (I should have shaken up the box better as it instructed) and let cool. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using 6 sheets of phyllo for each strudel, spread each sheet with butter, sprinkle with nuts and stack. Spoon half of the filling along the long edge of each stack. Fold the edges over to enclose the filling and roll up, jelly-roll fashion. Place on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with butter. With a sharp knife cut four slits in each strudel. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool 15 minutes before slicing and serving. *This tastes wonderful made with just apples too!