mushrooms and sparrows and beans...oh my!

productive would be an understatement. i am bursting with all sorts of creative endeavors this weekend. let's just say after a visit to the tax people i am P-OO-R. on all fronts i have to come up with solutions to turn around the economic down fall. refusing to be defeated I have embraced this challenge with creativity, a bit of love and some serious flavor.

first i did a major budget overhaul and then i got cooking...literally. i raided the cupboards and pulled out the crock pot for a giant batch of Chili-Jilly Style. After sharing with friends last night I have been asked to post said recipe which you will find at the end of this blog. Here is a visual aid to keep you curious:
Next I got down to business with the brooches. After some trouble shooting from the last batch of prototypes and sketching all week i managed to make 10 brooches this weekend! (actually 11, but i gave one away to my buddy Chase who is obsessed with mushrooms right now!) I mostly worked on sparrows and mushrooms but plan to make some bees too, naturally. There is one anomaly in this batch-in the upper right corner you will note a seal made from a floral printed fabric. She was a spontaneous, 2am creation. Totally weird...I love her though!


All of the brooches are made with fabric, are slightly stuffed with some poly-fibers, have hand sewn details and have a felt backed pin. All of the materials, except the pins, came from a reuse source, such as the white elephant sale mentioned earlier this month, or scraps handed down from friends or found around the house. (after this i feel well on my way to being ready for minnow and the bee on etsy!)

I think using what I have in the house will have to be a way of life for a while. That is actually something I wanted to do anyways to minimize the clutter in the house and utilize what I have rather than play into consumerism's naughty ways. Now that I have no choice I want to make it as fun as possible. We have plenty of books and music, movies and games, art supplies up the wazoo, and good company too! It surely is an interesting time to be alive. I just hope we can manage to make ends meet and find a little joy along the way. so far so good:)

Chili Jilly Style:

Filled with veggies, beans and meat (optional), with a sweet/smokey flavor, made overnight in the crock pot, deliciousness awaits...the serious prep-time is worth it....Makes a ton-will serve 8-10 people. I usually freeze half.

Veggies-diced in food processor for fastest approach:
1 med yellow onion
3 stalks celery
1 carrot or 1/2 cup baby carrots
6 mini sweet bell peppers (yellow, orange, red)
2 sm zucchini
4 cloves garlic (finely chop and keep separate)

Spices etc:
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 Tbs chipoltle salsa
1Tbs tabasco

3 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp Cumin
2 Tbs agave nectar or honey
1 tsp tyme
1 tsp basil

1 big can (28 oz) Diced Tomatoes
1 big can (28 oz) Crushed Tomatoes with Basil
1 reg can (15 oz) Black Beans
1 reg can (15 oz) Kidney Beans

Optional:
1 lb super lean ground beef (niman ranch or other grass fed choice)

Garnish:
Shredder cheddar
Sour Cream
Avocado

Make:

In a medium skillet heat 1 Tbs olive oil. Add garlic and sautee over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add remaining veggies, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occassionally, until onion and celery is transluscent, then toss 'em in the crock pot.

Heat 1 Tbs olive oil and brown the meat, adding the salsa and tabasco as it cooks. Toss into the pot. (drain first if using beef that is not super lean)

Open beans, rinse and drain-add them to the pot.

Open tomatoes and add to the pot.

Add cumin, chili powder, tyme, basil, and agave nectar and stir well until combined.

Cook overnight or all day on lowest temp possible, turn up to med/med-high for last 30 minutes before serving.

Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream and avocado slices.

Viola!