New Year, New Snow!

Boy, did we ever get it! And, from what I hear, not nearly as much as some other areas! Coming home from a friend's lovely dinner at New Year's made for a tricky drive (not terrible, but a little nervewracking!) When we awakened Tuesday, it was a wonderland of white.



You hear the term "laden" -- well, these branches were laden with snow. Incredibly beautiful.

So, I had to "start with art" and finish a collage (badly photographed below) from our trip to Canada. This was a Christmas gift that is now a post-Christmas gift! (Canvas base with painted background, textured with modeling paste and with photographs I took from the trip -- along with a few blue jay feathers (there were scads of them -- just like Hitchcock, only they were all blue!) and a seagull feather from our beach walk).

What else? I opted for baking! I owed a friend some chocolate chip cookies, and it was a great day to do it!

AND, I heard it was good luck to eat black beans on New Year's, so I made up a black bean dip (which would serve the semi-homemade lady proud!) Here it is... as you can see, it's a little loose...

New Year's Black Bean Dip and Chips

1 can of black beans (drained)

1 small or 1/2 large onion

1/2 of a 12 oz. can of your favorite salsa (I used Trade Joe haberna and lime -- very spicy)

1-2 tsp. of cumin (I love this, so start light and add as you like)

chipotle or chimayo powder to taste

Zap it together in the food processor till chunky-creamy. (I pulsed, not pureed.)

Chips:

Cut small low-fat flour tortillas into eights and lay out on a baking sheet. Mist with oil (I used TJoe Meyer lemon oil, because that was all I had that misted; any would work.) Sprinkle with salt and bake at 350 for 5 minutes; turn over or toss and bake another 5 minutes.