Eat Love Art

Chuck Ramirez

2011-04-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

Chuck Ramirez was born April 28, 1962, in San Antonio, Texas. He died November 6, 2010, in a cycling accident.
I met him a long time ago, maybe 2000? I can't remember when or why. I'm sure it was art related. Then when I joined the board of directors at Blue Star we started having projects together. He would always ask me if I wanted to work with him. But of course dear Chuck, of course. Here is a group of pictures I've found of him in my archive. http://www.flickr.com/photos/daynadehoyo/sets/72157625225506781/with/5629839925/

Here is a nice article written by Sarah Fisch when she was at the current.
http://www.sacurrent.com/arts/story.asp?id=71705

OH MY GOD I CAN"T BELIEVE THERE IS A RECIPE

2011-04-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

So these are my favorite cookies from Central Market. Now I don't have to spend 3.99 for 6 cookies. I can make them myself. Special thanks to "Not as good as pork cracklins" blog for the recipe.

Pecan Chewy Chocolate Cookies
8 ounces chopped pecans
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans on a cookie sheet and toast them for about 8 minutes. Let cool completely.

Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

Place sugar, cocoa, flour and salt in mixer bowl and stir together. Beat in egg whites, one at a time, scrapping bowl. Beat in vanilla and continue beating at high speed for 1 minute. Stir in cooled, toasted chopped pecans.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies for spreading. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, turning sheet halfway though baking time.

Yields about 40 cookies.
posted by Amy @ 10/17/2005 09:12:00 AM
http://notasgoodasporkcracklins.blogspot.com/2005/10/pecan-chewy-chocolate-cookies.html

How does a cat eat a rat?

2011-04-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

Headfirst!!
The beloved, drooling, best cat in the world Orange is an amazing hunter. He has a hand in keeping the rat population under control on Steiler Ranch. Check him out in action. He devours a rat in 10 minutes flat.

This is all that was left over, I believe the stomach, intestine, and tail. Let me know if that's not what these parts are.

My organic garden: week 5

2011-04-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

On Apr 8, 2011 12:59 PM,
This is my garden at week 5, I have cucumber in the foreground, tomato in the middle, sunflower to the right, and beans in the far background.
The big black container toward the far middle is a compost bin.
I have also recently applied cedar mulch to the beds. Hopefully this will keep the weeds at bay, hold the moisture in, and keep mosquitoes away. I can't wait to start harvesting.

This is an organic garden, I don't use pesticides or chemicals of any kind.
These are the products I do use to keeps bugs away and feed those greens.
Organic fertilizers:
Gardenville "Sea Tea 2-3-2" A liquid fertilizer blend of fish emulsion, seaweed, molasses, humate and other ingredients for use on grasses, shrubs and flowering plants.
Gardenville "Liquid Seaweed 0-0-1" A standard in foliar feeding programs. Contains nutrient rich North Atlantic Sea Kelp. Liquid Seaweed---Arcadian Seaweed Extract and water. Considered the best and most complete mixture of trace elements for plant and animal life.

I also use Diatomaceous earth, a white powder made up of ground shells, this kills ants and a few other nasty pests by interupting their digestive tract. And I use Hot Pepper spray made up of chili extracts to ward off some worms. When the tomato worms start coming around I'll use BT wormkiller.

I've heard that you can make your own Habanero pepper spray in your kitchen instead of buying it. I may try that when I run out of the bottle I have. Here is a link about making the pepper spray, I will use this one except I will use natural dishwashing liquid instead of dawn or murphy's oil soap. http://www.ehow.com/how_5055382_make-pepper-spray-garden.html

Into the soil:
"Green sand" Rich in iron (17% iron), Greensand has been used for more than a century to amend iron-deficient, high alkaline soils.

"Lava Sand"---A volcanic, paramagnetic, mineral rich sand. Use it anywhere coarse sand is needed to increase drainage. The amount may vary depending on drainage needed. Helps to keep moisture in the soil during a drought.

My organic garden: Day 1

2011-04-08T10:59:00.001-07:00

Garden week 1

Seeds and tiny tomato seedlings.

Recycled green house!!

2011-04-08T06:21:00.001-07:00

This blew my mind so much that I had to post about it!!
I'm making one of these as soon as I find out where to get broken windshields.
http://inhabitat.com/recycled-windshield-greenhouse-grows-more-glass/

Imitation of Life

2010-03-01T07:35:00.000-08:00

After a three month hiatus Stella Haus is back for Contemporary Art Month. Please check out our new show by the Fabulous Marcy McChesney.

Imitation of Life

Imitation of Life is a mixed media installation by Marcy McChesney as part of Contemporary Art Month 2010

Venue:

Stella Haus Art Space

1442 S Alamo St Bldg B, #106 A San Antonio, TX

Artist:

Marcy McChesney

Dates:

Thursday, Mar 4, 2010 - Wednesday, Mar 31, 2010

Receptions:

Thursday, Mar 4, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Friday, Mar 5, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Herbed Napa Cabbage with fresh cream

2010-02-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

So what i've been doing is buying items i've never cooked, for instance Napa Cabbage, then looking up recipes and what spices and flavor combinations work best with the item, then making up my own recipe.
This one turned out really really well.

1 head Napa Cabbage
1 sprig of rosemary
2 sprigs of sage
2 onions
4 garlic cloves
1 strip of cooked tofu bacon ( you can use real bacon if you want)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2-4 tbsps of mexican crema or creme fraiche or sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

Chopped up the garlic, herbs, and onion and sauteed it in the hot butter and olive oil until the onions are clear and a bit browned.
Add the cooked bacon and Napa Cabbage to pan and toss to coat with sauteed mixture.
You may have to place a lid over the cabbage so it will steam itself cooked.
When cabbage is fully cooked added creme fresh and salt and pepper to taste.

Yum Yum if you like good eats.

And Death Shall Have No Dominion

2010-01-27T12:41:00.000-08:00

by Dylan Thomas

And death shall have no dominion.
Dead mean naked they shall be one
With the man in the wind and the west moon;
When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,
They shall have stars at elbow and foot;
Though they go mad they shall be sane,
Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion.
Under the windings of the sea
They lying long shall not die windily;
Twisting on racks when sinews give way,
Strapped to a wheel, yet they shall not break;
Faith in their hands shall snap in two,
And the unicorn evils run them through;
Split all ends up they shan't crack;
And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion.
No more may gulls cry at their ears
Or waves break loud on the seashores;
Where blew a flower may a flower no more
Lift its head to the blows of the rain;
Through they be mad and dead as nails,
Heads of the characters hammer through daisies;
Break in the sun till the sun breaks down,
And death shall have no dominion.

photo of Dylan Thomas

Thinking of Sherry, My Grandma, Uncle Tony, and Grandpa.

The Blue Moon

2010-01-26T07:55:00.001-08:00

The Blue Moon 123109
Originally uploaded by dayna dehoyos

Video by Dayna De Hoyos taken on 12/31/2009 10pm

Following story by Christine Russell of THE ATLANTIC online journal

As you ring in the New Year, take your glass of champagne and toast the blue moon in the sky above. It's a once in a generation thing, a special astronomical happening that reminds us that while life is highly unpredictable, the heavens are not.

Tonight's New Year's Eve blue moon is the first since 1990. Another won't roll around for another 19 years. So the time to celebrate is now. I'll walk outside tonight as the clock strikes twelve, bundled up and looking for a blue moon shining over the snowy mountain peaks of Aspen, CO. The blue moon is expected to be visible to New Year's Eve celebrants across the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America and Africa, according to the AP's Alicia Chang. And in New York City, the full moon will be competing with the glittery ball dropping in Times Square (maybe the cameras can capture both).

Of course, the name has nothing to do with its color (although a moon can sometimes appear bluish from the smoke of a forest fire or the ash of a volcano). The old expression, "once in a blue moon," has more to do with something that is rare, special, uncommon, even absurd--but not impossible.

The most popular current definition of a blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month. A full moon occurred on December 2 and tonight's will be the second, a phenomenon that occurs every 2.5 years (the next will be in August, 2012). But the New Year's Eve blue moon is more exceptional. The next won't occur until 2028. There's no way of knowing where I'll be then, but it is reassuring that, just like clockwork, the blue moon will be there.

The Hurt Locker

2010-01-20T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hurt Locker:

A period of immense, inescapable physical or emotional pain; A place where you might find yourself after a long night of consuming alcoholic beverages.
If someone inflicts pain on someone else, they are said to be "putting
them in the Hurt Locker". It is a colloquialism, that means to cause
someone physical or mental suffering.

This is the best movie I have seen all year. It takes a movie like the Hurt Locker to make this American realize the situation in the middle east. They don't want us there. We need to get out. Please bring our troops home.

-Dayna

Beet Salad

2010-01-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

When i was little my Mama, Grandma, and Grandpa would go to a local cafeteria called Luby's. My mother would get me a little bowl of spinach which she tells me i would eat up delicately with my fingers. Soon i graduated to other vegetables and loved every one, but never acquired a taste for beets. This is until i tried in vain one last time to make beets on my own as an adult. I used an old weight watchers recipe consisting of pine nuts honey and gorgonzola. It blew me away. I loved beets!!!

Next recipe on the agenda this week, I'll tell you how it turns out for me.
Dayna

Wedding Beet Salad
Serves 8

Although there are many beet salad recipes around, Brian (our chef de cuisine) added some special twists to his version. He combined the beets with apples, which gives this salad a great balance in both flavor and texture. Brian also used a sweet sherry vinegar, which gives this salad a whole new dimension. Since sweet sherry vinegar isn’t available in grocery stores, I’ve used aged sherry vinegar with a little instant dissolve sugar. You might have to search to find sherry vinegar in your neighborhood, but it’s worth the effort. It’s actually my favorite vinegar and can be used in place of balsamic in many recipes. This recipe is called Wedding Beet Salad since Brian created it to serve at his own wedding.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds red beets
1 1/2 pounds Honey Crisp apples (you can substitute your favorite crisp apple)
1 small red onion (1/3 cup), thinly sliced, rinsed under cold water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 ounces sherry wine vinegar
1 tablespoon instant dissolve sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 ounces blue cheese
Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the clean whole beets on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife easily penetrate the beet. Allow to cool, then using plastic gloves and paper towels, rub the skins off. Cut the beets into a small dice and place into a large bowl.

Peel, core and dice the apples into similar size pieces and add to the beets along with the red onion slices.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sherry wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. This can be done ahead.

Just before serving, crumble on the blue cheese.

This was new years eve dinner

2010-01-04T08:04:00.000-08:00

So I fell in love with Rick Bayless on Top Chef masters and decided to start using his recipes. This is THE BEST CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. No kidding. I adjusted the recipe and shredded the chicken instead of cubing it, and also added carrots and celery to the broth to add nutrition. This is also the first time I used EPAZOTE in anything i've cooked. I found it very mild and added a bit of cilantro to pep up the notes. I plan on planting an epazote plant in order to experiment more with it's flavor. Overall, this was an AWEsome New Years Eve Dinner with Sky.

Sopa Azteca
Tortilla Soup

Serves 4 to 6

Recipe from Frontera Grill/Topolobampo

Like guacamole, tortilla soup has a place, I feel, in practically every collection of Mexican recipes. It’s a filling, flavorful meal that can be made with little effort, but one that sings with an unmistakable Mexican harmony. Earthy dark pasilla chile. The softening crunch of toasty corn tortillas. Soul-satisfying broth. And creamy-rich avocado and cheese.

A note about pasilla (sometimes called negro) chile: Its unique flavor defines tortilla soup in central Mexico. In Michoacan, it’s ancho chile. In your kitchen, it might turn out to be another chile, like New Mexico or even a little smoky chipotle (be forewarned that chipotle will make the broth quite spicy). Though for these everyday recipes I’ve relied heavily on the easier-to-use powdered dried chile, finding powdered pasilla (negro) can be harder than finding the whole pod. Should powdered chile be at your finger tips (be it powdered pasilla (negro), ancho or beyond), add about 1 tablespoon to the pan about halfway through the cooking of the onion.

In Mexico, it’s more common to crush toasted chile pods over the soup than to add it to the base. You can follow that lead, or do both as we do in our restaurants.
Ingredients

1 large dried pasilla (negro) chile, stemmed and seeded
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 quarts chicken broth
1 large epazote sprig, if you have one
4 (about 1 1/4 pounds total) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large ripe avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Mexican melting cheese (like Chihuahua, quesadilla or asadero) or Monterey Jack, brick or mild cheddar
A generous 4 cups (about 6 ounces) roughly broken tortilla chips
1/2 cup Mexican crema, sour cream or creme fraîche for garnish
1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges, for serving

Directions

Quickly toast the chile by turning it an inch or two above an open flame for a few seconds until its aroma fills the kitchen. (Lacking an open flame, toast it in a dry pan over medium heat, pressing it flat for a few seconds, then flipping it over and pressing it again.) Break the chile into pieces and put in a blender jar along with the tomatoes with their juice. (A food processor will work, though it won’t completely puree the chile.)

Heat the oil in a medium (4-quart) saucepan over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes. Scoop up the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon, pressing them against the side of the pan to leave behind as much oil as possible, and transfer to the blender. Process until smooth.

Return the pan to medium-high heat. When quite hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly, until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6 minutes. Add the broth and epazote, if using. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt, usually about a generous teaspoon (depending on the saltiness of the broth).

Just before serving, add the chicken to the simmering broth. Divide the avocado, cheese and tortilla chips between serving bowls. When the chicken is done, usually about 5 minutes, ladle the soup into the bowls. Garnish with the crema. Pass the lime separately.

Orange Julius Recipe

2010-01-04T08:02:00.000-08:00

copied from: http://www.recipezaar.com/Orange-Julius-8589

So far I've made this recipe 4 times. I don't use sugar, I use splenda and a little half and half. It's super delicious!!

Ingredients

* 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
* 1 cup milk, lowfat okay
* 1 cup water
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 8 ice cubes

Directions

1. -Combine all ingredients, except ice cubes, in blender.
2. -Blend 1-2 minutes , adding ice cubes one at a time, until smooth.

On the Verge

2009-10-14T09:53:00.001-07:00

dayna dehoyos video

link to Neiman Marcus Art Of Fashion Pics

2009-09-24T07:39:00.001-07:00

clipped from www.flickr.com

Art Of Fashion/Artpace

2009-09-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

New Photos from Art of Fashion Event that I participated in.
So I couldn't do Artpace's Chalk it Up Event year. Fortunately They asked me to participate in one of their promotions at Neiman Marcus. I had a great time. Thank you Neiman Marcus and Artpace San Antonio.
There were two other artists that participated:Kendra Curry and Shek Leroc
link below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daynadehoyo/sets/72157622335106430/

Stella Haus mention in a blog post

2009-08-06T14:49:00.001-07:00

http://junkology.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/rummage-haus-rules/
I love it when other people write about Stella Haus!!

clipped from junkology.wordpress.com

Rummage Haus Rules!

When you have a nose for junk, you can find it anywhere. Remember the vintage typewriter shirt I found at a concert recently? Well… here’s to more junk in all the wrong places! A couple of weeks ago I went to an art show and came a cross this fantabulous exhibit: Rummage Haus at Stella Haus. The artist had pinned all kinds of junk, each piece with its own little story, to all the walls in her space. I snapped these pictures:

Marfa trailers

2009-08-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

I hope they get these trailers done in marfa before I go down there in October. How cool to stay in these things?

http://www.elcosmico.com/whatisec.php

great new tool

2009-08-06T12:31:00.001-07:00

I just found this new tool when i started using firefox today!! It's this great blogging/email tool that allows me to clip anything off a page and post it to my blog!!! LOVE IT!

clipped from clipmarks.com

Mankind Website

2009-08-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

I love this new blog and magazine. Found out about it because one of my friends art was featured in the blog. Must read more soon.

http://www.designformankind.com/

StarWars.com | Yoda's Incredible Herb Stew

2009-06-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

Came across this I think I'll make it this weekend. Yum!

StarWars.com Yoda's Incredible Herb Stew:

"YODA'S INCREDIBLE HERB STEW
by Craig Claiborne
3 pounds lean lamb or other meat
Salt to taste, if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
6 tablespoons light or vegetable or other oil
6 cups finely chopped parsley
3 cups thinly sliced onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons finely minced ginger root
1 teaspoon finely chopped seeded hot green or red chilies
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 bay leaf
3 pounds fresh spinach, well rinsed and tough stems removed.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cut the meat into one inch cubes, and add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Heat half the oil in a heavy skillet and add the meat, turning to brown the pieces on all sides.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a Dutch oven or heavy casserole and add parsley, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often until the onions are wilted. Add the meat, coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger root, chilies, cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir.
4. Add water to cover, bring to boil and cover tightly. Let simmer about 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the meat is quite tender.
5. Meanwhile, drop the spinach into a kettle of boiling water with salt to taste and let simmer about five minutes. Drain well and run under cold water. Drain thoroughly.
6. Squeeze the spinach to remove all excess liquid. Place the spinach on a chopping block and chop coarsely.
7. Add the spinach to the stew and stir. Let simmer together about five minutes"

Best Gazpacho EVER

2009-06-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

Marilyn Lanfears is a fabulous Mixed Media artist. Her work varies from lead childrens dresses to intricatly made tapestrys, watercolors, and assemblages. Her house and studio are laden with the most precious artifacts and photos from her long art history. My favorite work(and i don't know if it was a work or just a collection of stuff she liked) was bottles and bottles of sand in little glass containers from around the world.
So, 8 years ago or so, Stefunny Price, Joey Hladeck and I went over to her house for a summer lunch. She made THE BEST gazpacho i ever had!! Quickly after I asked her for the recipe which she so nicely obliged and handed me. Fast forward 8 years later(exactly 6pm on Friday) I am craving a cool summer soup. Lost the recipe and can't recall the ingredients. I call Stefunny, Joey, and Janet Finch(Stefunny's mom), saying: "do you remember what's in Marilyn Lanfear's gazpacho?" Stefunny: Tomatoes Janet: V8
So I finally broke down and called Marilyn. She couldn't remember either and told me she'd look for the recipe and email it to me. I asked her "Well, what was the acid you used? Lemon? Vinegar?" She said it was Red Wine Vinegar!!! From there I knew that I would be able to make it from memory!! I remembered what the blender looked like 8 years ago before she hit liquify. There was a large ratio of cucumber to tomato. I remember i was surprised by how much onion there was, and i remember that there was definetly garlic and olive oil. So I stoped at the HEB in Boerne, Tx and picked up all the ingredients.

So here is my recreation of Marilyn Lanfear's Gazpacho Recipe from what i could remember. Untill i get the original from her via email, because i just couldn't wait for it. I had to have that soup on Friday.

All veggies must be chilled before blending

5 Cucumbers peeled and deseeded
3 Tomatoes deseeded
1/2 Bell pepper deseeded
2 Celery ribs
2-2.5 cups of v8
4 table spoons olive oil extra virgin(more if you want)
4 table spoons red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves of garlic
salt pepper to taste
cumin to taste
1/2 cup of onion

Blend all ingredients till semi smooth, you still want some chunks!!
Chill a little more in fridg
Garnish with croutons, avocado, green onion, cilantro, and a dash of olive oil.

It came out so good, my beautiful beau Sky said it was the best Gazpacho he ever had.

Greenling found

2009-06-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

http://awesome.greenling.com/how-it-works/guide

Just found this new website that delivers organic produce to your home! You can even sign up for a weekly delivery of a Greenling box that has that weeks specialty produce! I think i'm gonna have to try this. On their Facebook page they even have video of the boxes.

Missing Big Bend

2009-06-11T05:40:00.000-07:00

I'm dying to go back to Big Bend. Today the urge to go is really bad. I miss LaKiva too.

The problem is that hiking right now is really dangerous. It's way too hot. Heat stroke in the middle of nowhere without a cell phone signal is not advisable. Must wait till October. Texas weather, sometimes a curse, sometimes a blessing.

Sold a piece

2009-06-10T05:33:00.000-07:00

Just sold this piece last weekend. I'm always sad when i sell a piece coupled by happiness. I may never see it again, but i always hope it goes to a really good home. Must thank the buyer when I find out who it is. The piece is entitled

"19 Months"

H:42" W:61"

Hamilton Pool: Pool of green

2009-06-09T16:01:00.000-07:00

I went to Hamilton Pool over the weekend, it was wonderful. I had to wait in line for 45 minutes until enough people came out for us to go in. What else should I expect? I went on a Saturday.