GREEN WHITE OR PURPLE?

THE CREAM OF THE CROPS ARE IN YOUR LOCAL MARKETS.... I HOPE YOU ARE ENJOY THE FRESHNESS OF ASPARAGUS A FEW TIMES A WEEK WHILE THESE MOUTH WATERING SPRING TIME DELIGHTS ARE AT THEIR PEEK

HOW TO SHOP FOR ASPARAGUS? LOOK FOR FIRM,UN BRUISED "HEADS" AND SMOOTH LONG STEMS THAT ARE WRINKLE FREE... "BODY SIZE" OF SLIM JIMS OR HEFTY STOCKS ONLY MATTER IN COOKING TIME

PROTECT THE STAKS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO  BE USED BY WRAPPING IN KITCHEN TOWEL OR PAPER TOWEL AND THEN PUTTING IN A PLASTIC (AIR TIGHT) BAG BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN THE REFRIGERATOR 

FOR ROASTING ( GOOD FOR LATER IN THE SEASON WHEN THE STALKS ARE NOT AS FLAVORFUL AND COULD USE A LITTLE KICK BY BECOMING GOLDEN) PRE HEAT THE OVEN (15 MINUTES BEFORE USING) TO 500 DEGREES LINE A LIPPED COOK SHEET WITH ALUMINUM FOIL, LINE UP THE STALKS IN ONE DIRECTION 

DRIZZLE A GOOD AMOUNT OF OLIVE OIL TO COAT THE STALKS, SPRINKLE WITH KOSHER SALT AND FRESH GROUND PEPPER.

ROAST FOR 10 TO 15 MINUTES OR UNTIL THEY HAVE A LITTLE GOLDEN LOOK TO THEM

A FRESH SALAD OF MIXED GREENS, TOMATOES AND  UNCOOKED ASPARAGUS , OLIVE OIL, BALSAMIC VINEGAR,  A PINCH OF SALT AND FRESH GROUND PEPPER....D LISH!

BEAUTIFUL ROASTED GREEN ASPARAGUS GARNISHED WITH FRESH CHOPPED ITALIAN PARSLEY 

STEAMED ASPARAGUS IN A CAST IRON SKILLET 

BEAUTIFUL PURPLE STALKS READY TO BE PREPPED  TO COOK
CUT THE BOTTOM THIRD OFF (IT'S WOODY AND TOUGH) HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH TO CUT OFF? YOU CAN  TAKE ON STALK AND SNAP IT TO SEE WHERE IT WILL BREAK, I PREFER USING THE BOTTOM RUBBER BAND AS THE CHOPPING POINT AND CUTTING JUST BELOW THE BAND, WASH AND SET THE STALKS READY FOR STEAMING, ROASTING OR EATING RAW

WHAT A GLORIOUS SIGHT! STALKS CUT OFF AND READY TO BE WASHED AND COOKED

IN A SAUCE PAN OR FRY PAN ADD ENOUGH WATER TO COVER THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN ( DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF STALKS 1/4 C TO 1/2C WATER, BRING HEAT TO HIGH AND WATCH UNTIL THE WATER BOILS, COVER AND COOK 5 MINUTES.......PLEASE DON'T OVER COOK.....NO MUSH STALKS

LAZY DAY DINNER AT MY HOUSE?  WHY STORE BOUGHT ROAST CHICKEN, WITH A SQUEEZE ON LEMON,CHOPPED PARSLEY, SAUTÉED OYSTER MUSHROOMS AND FRESH STEAMED ASPARAGUS

SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPARAGUS? GREEN, WHITE, PURPLE?  SKINNY MINNY OR VOLUMINOUSLY THICK?  SO MANY CHOICES AND NO WRONG ANSWER....

SPRINGLE

JILL SWARTZ USUALLY HAS A POP UP STORE IN NYC CHELSEA MARKET FOR A FORTH NIGHT  IN DECEMBER CALLED JINGLES...... IT'S  A JEWEL OF A PLACE TO VISIT FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND PURCHASE SOME WONDERFUL GIFTS.  CLEVER GIRL DECIDED TO TRY A SPRING MARKET, HENCE SPRINGLE..... IT WAS DELIGHTFUL WITH MANY GREAT INVENTIVE VENDORS.  WHAT CAUGHT MY EYES?

THE LOVELY AND TALENTED JILL SCHWARTZ

LINDEN HILL GARDENS IN OTTSVILLE, PA
THEY HAVE A WEBSITE WWW.LINDENHILLGARDENS.COM

A GREAT PLACE TO GET IDEAS FOR INDOOR OR OUTDOOR GARDENS , EGG BASKET FILLED WITH LOVELY SUCCULENTS CALLED TILLANDSIA (AIRPLANTS) ON TOP OF AN ORIENTAL RUG.... 

WHAT A WONDERFUL IDEA BUT A SMALL BUSH /TREE TO PLANT OUT DOOR. WRAP IT IN BURLAP AND USE IT ASAP AS AN TABLE ADORNMENT FIRST..... 

I JUST LOVE THE RUSTIC ELEMENTS,THIS IS DEF MY STYLE

THIS VIGNETTE WOULD WORK INSIDE OR OUT....OH THE IDEAS.... TO DROOL FOR 

CHELSEA WITH FRANKLIN

A  TRUE TREAT IN THE SPRING IS GOING ON  ART TOURS (PART OF THE ROSLYN LANDMARK SOCIETY PROGRAMS) WITH FRANKLIN HILL PERRELL

THIS ONE WAS A VISIT TO THE GALLERIES IN CHELSEA NEW YORK

FIRST STOP WAS DC MOORE GALLERIES AND THE ROBERT DE NIRO SR. EXHIBIT ( YES THAT DE NIRO'S DAD)

HIS WORK IS IN FUSED WITH COLOR TO REMIND US OF FAUVISM MATISSE PURE COLOR AND GREAT BRUSH WORK 

NEXT STOP WAS ANDREA ROSEN GALLERY TO SEE THE WORKS OF NIGEL COOKE
HIS WORK  IS DESCRIBED AS "IN MULTIPLE CYCLE'S OF DESTRUCTION AND RENEWAL" SURREALISTIC WORK AT IT'S BEST. 

IT'S THE SWEEPING BRUSH STOKES WITH LITTLE HIDDEN GEMS SCATTERED IN THE WORK THAT I REALLY ENJOYED

MARY BOONE GALLERY WAS SHOWING THE WORK OF PETER SAUL "CHOCOLATE CAKE AND CHEESE CAKE" OR IS IT "50 SHADES OF GREY"?  YOU DECIDE

PACE GALLERIES PAINTINGS BY ADOLPH GOTLIEB

QUICK BEFORE THE GARDS YELL AT ME FOR TAKING PICTURES

NOW WE ARE AT BETTY CUNINGHAM GALLERIES LOOKING AT WILLIAM BAILEY'S NEW WORK

FIGURE PAINTS BATHED WITH SUN LIGHT

HE LOVES STILL LIFE WHICH ARE NOT ARRANGED BUT PAINTED FROM MEMORY 

ANOTHER WONDERFUL ART WALK COMES TO AN END..... TIME FOR LUNCH AND CHELSEA MARKET......MAYBE?

REVLONS TIME SQUARE RACE/WALK FOR ALL WOMENS CANCERS

 THE CALENDAR IS SAYING MAY BABY.... THAT MEANS  LILAC TIME, PEONIES IN BLOOM AND.....
 REVLON'S CHANCE TO TURN TIME SQUARE INTO A CLOUD OF PINK AND TEAL BLUE.....WHY? BECAUSE THIS FABULOUS COMPANY BELIEVES IN ALL WOMEN BEING HEATHY!  THEY RAISE AWARENESS FOR ALL, REPEAT ALL,  WOMEN'S CANCER. THIS YEAR I TEAMED UP WITH MISS ELIZABETH AND HER DARLING DAUGHTER MISS TESSA ( THE SOON TO BE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE).  THIS YEARS GRAND CELEBRATE MARSHALS WERE JIMMY FALLON(TOO CUTE) OLIVA WILDE (LOVELY AND TALENTED) AND EMMA STONE ( ADORABLE AND EFFERVESCENT)

                THIS YEAR I DEDICATED MY WALK TO MY COUSIN RONI....
                                                    A  BEAUTIFUL SURVIVOR....

MY FAVORITE FLOWERS 

WHO DO I WALK FOR?
IF YOU WERE BORN WITH TWO TATA'S  LADIES AND GENTS
I WALK FOR YOU!

THIS YEARS T SHIRT.... CRUMMY PIC SORRY FOLKS
THEME
FEATHER YOUR NEST CLEAN OF CANCER
THANK YOU GRAPHICS FAIRY  http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ FOR THIS FABULOUS  PICTURE

THE CONFETTI IS SHOT, THUS STARTING THE OFFICIAL START OF THE RACE
CHECK OUT DR. HOUSE!

MY FAV T SHIRT THIS YEAR,  DO YOU NOT LOVE
I MEAN  L O V E ...IT?

BZ WITH NONE OTHER THAN
JIMMY FALLON....
OH BZ YOU DO GET AROUND!

HOUSE'S VERY OWN #13 OLIVIA WILDE

THE FINISH LINE

SPING TIME BRUNCH AWAITS US AT CHEZ BZ'S
MATCH BOX GIFTS THANKS TO A CLASS FROM MISS LESLEY'S CLASS ON LINE

THE TABLE WAS A SPRING TIME TEA/BRUNCH
THAT OF COURSE INCLUDED THE FLOWERS ON THE SEASON
AND GUACAMOLE TO HONOR CINCO DE MAYA 

EGG SALAD WITH CHIVES, MUSTARD AND DILL PLATED WITH STEAMED ASPARAGUS 

APRICOT, PECAN, CHERRY CHICKEN SALAD

MINT PEA AND PARMESAN "VEGGIE FOE GRAS" 

THREE BEAUTIES AFTER THE LUNCHEON, THANK YOU GALS FOR MAKING THE DAY SO VERY SPECIAL AND THE WONDERFUL FLOWER BADGE DESIGNED BY MISS E FOR OUR WALK

A VISIT WITH DIANA TROUT @ THE INK PAD

A FEW DAYS HAVE PASSED SINCE THIS WONDERFUL GATHERING OF LADIES WHO MEET UP AT THE INK PAD  NEW YORK CITY TO HAVE A DAY OF WILD RUMPUS JOURNALING WITH DIANA TROUT.   IT WAS A GLORIOUS SPRING DAY IN THE HEART OF THE WEST VILLAGE.   WE SPILLED COLOR, SPLASHED AND SPLATTERED.  AS I WAS WALKNG TO  LUNCH I NOTICED MY IMAGE IN A  SHOP WINDOW... I HAD BLUE & PURPLE WATER COLOR PAINT SPLATTER ON MY FACE.... SO IT TRULY WAS A WILD RUMPUS OF COLOR SPILLING.  DARN MY FORGETTING MY CAMERA AND WOULDN'T YA KNOW IT MY IPHONE LOST ALL IT'S JUICE AND BLACKED OUT.... SO ONLY A FEW PICS SOME ARE BORROWED.....

LADIES AT WORK SPILLING COLOR

A SMEAR OF GLUE STICK, A TEAR SHEET OF PAPER,  OH AND MAYBE SOME GESSO  

A BOOK MARKER BY ANY OTHER NAME.......PAPER DOLLS  LINED UP
 TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AND YOU WILL SEE THE MINI CUPCAKES TO CELEBRATE DEAR DIANA'S B'DAY!

DIANA,  INSPIRING US WITH WORLDS OF WISDON AND HOWING US SOME OF HER AMAZING JOURNALS

THE PROPER TECHNIQUE TO SPLATTER WATERCOLOR PAINTS

TWO CUPS OF WATER, ONE TO CLEAN THE BRUSH AND  ONE TO JUICE IT UP WITH.
 ISN'T THAT BUTTON BRACELET DEVINE?

LOOK MA! SEE WHAT I CAN DO WTH PAINT!

MAKE IT SIMPLE AND USE COLOR IN A FAMILY GROUP

USE A STRAW AND WATCH IT WIGGLE AWAY

ADD SOME PENCIL AND MARKERS TO MAKE A BOLD STATEMENT

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN..... CLOSE UP AND PERSONAL PICS OF THE GROUP

WE HAD "EXERCISE" WARM UP GAMES AND LOTS OF LAUGHTER... THE DAY WENT BY WAAAAY TO FAST... REMBER YOUR 5 MINUTE JORNAL PAGERS.....

A Trip to Tuscon

I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE TO VISIT TUSCON RECENTLY (YES MAME,  THIS GIRL GETS AROUND)  I WANTED SHARE SOME OF THE BEAUTY OF THE DESSERT WITH YOU ALL.

Havalina's (A  wild boar) left overs from breakfast

spring growth, watch out for those nasty prickles

striations so history in the rocks

skeleton of a cactus  

spring bloom in the desert

lunch salad nicoise 

red and shiny

bz with the chef de jour