Living an ART filled life…“Creativity is a God-given ability to take something ordinary and make it into something special. It is an openness to doing old things new ways…The creative spirit is part of our heritage as children of the One who created all things. And nurturing our creativity is part of our responsibility as stewards of God’s good gifts.” – Emilie Barnes, The Spirit of Loveline
Before leaving for a fun filled family vacation to Beautiful Glacier National Park in Montana, I dug my fingers into a new product! I loved playing with Glitter Paste…found in my first Mixed Media Kit from Frog Dog.
Because I had limited time, (getting ready for our trip) I used a background that had already been started. I added a strip of vintage book paper that I had cut out for another project. I painted a “doodle” flower from another piece (I often photo copy original drawings and use in more than one project) with Twinkling H2O’s, and then added a bit of Glitter Paste on top. (Unfortunately, you can’t see the detail in this photo)
Glitter Paste : New Product in July Kit from Frog Dog
I built up the “cloud” with thick Gesso, and then layered the Glitter paste on top.
I can’t wait to incorporate this fun new product into my July Frog Dog tutorials next week!
If you are interested in Mixed Media, please hop over to Frog Dog to see what great kits they offer that include a months worth of GREAT instruction on new products!!
I would like to assure you that the pasta does tastes great…
Here are the ingredients
1 pound Dreamfields spaghetti
16-32 Oz. french green beans (there is no right or wrong amount.)
2 Tbs. vegetable oil or olive oil for sautéing veggies
2 Tbs. Sesame oil (to toss w/cooked pasta)
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 Cups Stock (I use Beef)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. chopped fresh ginger
16 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 bunches of scallions, sliced tops only
1 C chopped fresh basil leaves
“Squeeze “of a lime
1 Tbs. Honey
Salt & Pepper to taste
Sriracha to taste
If you have them, a couple Tbs. of toasted white sesame seeds are nice to add at the finish:)
Low Carb Asian Noodles
The recipe starts with these…
I begin by chopping 1 large sweet onion, ginger, garlic, and slicing the mushrooms.
Low Carb Asian Noodles
If you’ve never used fresh ginger I encourage you to try it! Simply peel the outer skin with a pairing knife and then thinly slice, and then dice. You want to chop to a fine dice…like garlic, you don’t want to bite into a big piece.
Low Carb Asian Noodles
Saute the onion in 2 Tbs. of olive oil or vegetable oil. When they begin to get tender, add the sliced mushrooms & ginger, add the garlic last because it can burn easily.
Low Carb Asian Noodles
While the above is sautéing, cook the pasta to al dente. This should only take about 7 or 8 minutes. (check by pulling a noodle out and tasting. You want it to be firm and for the starch flavor to just be cooked off)
‘Al dente’ means it should have a bit of ‘bite’ left in it. If it sticks, (when thrown on the wall) it’s just mushy.
Low Carb Asian Noodles
A good Italian once told me to NEVER rinse my pasta in water. (to prevent sticking) When it is taken out of the water it is a bit like a sponge, so utilize this for your taste buds and either put directly into your sauce (it will absorb the flavor) or drizzle and toss with a flavored oil and watch it soak up the yummy flavors!
For this recipe I drizzle a bit (about 2 tablespoons) of sesame oil on the “just drained” noodles & toss. They soak up the flavor and it really adds to this dish.
Set aside until the end.
After the Mushroom mixture is cooked through, add about 2 1/2 cups of Beef Broth or Stock (you could add any stock here…chicken or even vegetable)
Low Carb Asian Noodles
To thicken slightly, mix another 1/2 C liquid (stock or water) to 1/4 C of cornstarch.
Whisk until smooth and add to the pan a little bit at a time until the desired thickness is achieved. I like to add just enough to give the Veggies and Sauce a little “body” that will really “stick” to the Pasta. If you get it too thick, just add a little more stock.
Squeeze about 1 Tbs. lime juice into the pan and add the honey. (it balances the acid)
Season with salt and pepper. I add Sriracha sauce for heat but you could also use red pepper flakes. (start with 1 Tbs. Sriracha or 2 tsp. red pepper flakes and adjust to your liking.
You can add any veggies you like to these noodles…I love the convenience of “steaming” Haricot Verts (fancy french name for “skinny green beans”) right in the bag using the microwave. You could add broccoli, bok choy, or carrots.
Steam veggies of your choice until tender and add to the “mix.”
Low Carb Asian Noodles
Take off the heat, toss in the pasta, along with chopped Scallion tops and Basil.
Serve Warm or cold. My family loves it both ways.
You can also add some chicken. An easy way to do this is to buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery, pull off the white meat in small pieces and toss in at the end.
I often create something out of the need to just be:) Some go for a run, others go for a drive or watch TV…I like to do something creative with my hands in paint…So, last night I picked over my “stash piles” collecting a few odds and ends that caught my eye and began to put them together.
Including: a spool of 99 cent paper studio ribbon, some cut up pieces of an old “background” page, a left over strip of old music that I had punched squares out of from another project, some added string & a small canvas painted with black gesso.
At this point I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but I began to think of what I was processing that night.
I meet with High School girls in the hope that I can be an encouragement that I didn’t have when I was that age…to speak truth in love, and provide a safe place for girls to “talk through” the difficulties of life…the joys, the sorrows…the lies they believe…
The world tells them so many lies
“You have to look this way”, “You have to buy this”, “You have to have a boyfriend”, “You have to act happy, even when you’re not”, “If you just do _____, then you’ll be happy”, “Everyone else is better than you”, “You’ll never be as good as _____”, “If you please everyone, then they will accept you”, “You are what others say you are”
It’s no wonder our perspectives change. Our view of ourselves, others and even God becomes so distorted. This is true of many of us, no matter what age we are.
This quote was playing in my head. So I went from there.
“The Reason We Struggle with Insecurity is Because We Compare Our Behind the Scenes with Everyone Else’s Highlight Reel.”
(I’m not sure who the author of this quote is…if you know, please share with me)
Ephesians 1 is one of my favorite Chapters in the New Testament. It says that as believers we are already Loved, Accepted, Forgiven, & Redeemed. There isn’t anything else we have to do. I pray that you will read this Chapter and find hope and encouragement today!
I didn’t use everything I originally “grabbed…so, back in “the stash” they go:)
Annabelle is loving her letters. (See original post here) I started out by mailing her a small candy treat with each letter…(That’s what Mimi’s are for, right?) Well, I guess I knew she might like the treat best…and yes, she did:) So, now I am sending her non-edible extras like Dora the Explorer stickers. Someday, if my dear daughter sends me a pic of the “mailbox expedition” I might post the results. Until then, 15 more to go!
As we (my husband & I, our 4 kids, their spouses and one babygirl) get ready to head out on a trip to Montana, I am gathering my pencils, pens, markers, watercolors and paper. What a perfect opportunity to use the beautiful scenery God created there as inspiration for my Mini Doodle Notebook. It’s the perfect size for travel.
I’m sure I’ll have some more doodle posts coming soon:) What do you have outside your front door to doodle???!!
Because I had limited time, (getting ready for our trip) I used a background that had already been started. I added a strip of vintage book paper that I had cut out for another project. I painted a “doodle” flower from another piece (I often photo copy original drawings and use in more than one project) with Twinkling H2O’s, and then added a bit of Glitter Paste on top. (Unfortunately, you can’t see the detail in this photo)
I can’t wait to incorporate this fun new product into my July Frog Dog tutorials next week!
1Arthouse 