Notes From My Easel

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas; at least in my studio.

My newest print is titled “Ancaster” and as the name implies, it is a view of the beautiful old Town Hall on a Winter’s evening with the overtones of Christmas evidenced by the Christmas ornamentation and Victorian Carolers. Chaucer and Catya make an appearance again in this scene as does the love of my life, Lennie. Yes, the man that I met in Hawai’i is here on vacation right now. Some of my friends say that we are doing it backwards – spending the summer months in Hawai’i and the winter here in Canada, but Christmas with snow is still very appealing.

Once again I will be hosting my annual “holiday studio tour and toy drive” please visit the website: www.holidaystudiotour.com This year I have added a Hawai’ian artist to my tour here in Hamilton, Ontario. I am importing hand made jewelry in the form of chocolate south sea shell pearls. 18″ strands of these beautiful 8,10 & 12mm pearls in shades from dark chocolate to light gold with matching earrings will also be available at my home/studio.

By the way, this is my 10th anniversary of prints. (Where did the years go?) But, what better way to celebrate than by including a bonus print in the form of a detail from the larger print that you can either keep or give as a gift.

Please visit my website for more information on my studio works and events.

Kathryn
www.kathrynsmith.ca

It’s June 24th. Today is my birthday. A lot has happened in the past few months. I have met the man that I am going to spend the rest of my life with. His name is Lennie. He lives in Hawai’i. That means that we both have started to do a lot of travelling.

I LOVE Hawai’i, and I love cooking. So I am taking advantage of the local fare… like the coconuts that fall off the trees. I was the most surprised that inside the husks the coconuts did not look like those that you buy on the mainland. Here they are not dark brown and dried out, but a lighter color and absolutely full of the delicious coconut milk.

In Honolulu it is a full time job cutting the coconuts off the trees before they have a chance to grow as many tourists like to lean on the trees. Locals do not lean against coconut trees for a very good reason and it would be bad for the tourist trade if tourists were killed by being hit on the head by a falling coconut!

Here is my own recipe for a delicious, moist coconut cake made from fresh coconuts, grown from the trees in our yard.

Fresh Hawaiian Coconut Cake
2/3 lb unsalted butter
2 Cups cane sugar
5 large eggs
3 Cups flour
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp pure almond extract
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 tsp baking soda
1 Cup of whole milk
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round or square cake pans and dust lightly with flour.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture will look slightly curdled.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 minutes, until the tops are browned and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes.
Frosting
1 8 oz pkg of cream cheese
½ Cup unsalted butter at room temperature
4 Cups of fine or confectioners cane sugar
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 packed Cup of shredded and dried fresh coconut
Additional 1 Cup of dried and sweetened coconut (optional – this coconut may be toasted if desired)
For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, milk and salt on low speed. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until just smooth. Fold in 1 packed Cup of coconut. Reserve additional Cup of coconut for end.
Filling
1 box of Jell-o brand instant lemon pudding mix
Mix as directed on box
Slice each cake in two and add the lemon filling between all layers. Frost cake with icing and gently press the additional Cup of shredded coconut on top and sides of cake with your hand.

E’ai ka-ua,

Kathryn

www.hamiltonartist.com
www.kathrynsmith.ca

Here are the answers for all you children who helped color the “Pirate’s Cove” & “Cinderella’s Castle” wall murals at the Stoney Creek – Centennial Pkwy location of CAA on ‘Saturday, May 2nd.

‘Cinderella’s Secret’
Cinderella knows that to be beautiful on the outside, you also need to be beautiful on the inside. Be kind to animals; don’t fight with your brothers and sisters; and treat every person and living creature with respect and the beauty inside you will show on the outside too.

‘Treasure Map Code’
The code on the Treasure map was written backwards!!! Did you figure it out? The answer was “all good boys grow into fine young men”.

I hope that all of you budding artists had a great time coloring in the drawings that I did for you!

For any of you moms and dads that are thinking of having a painted portrait done of your little Cinderella or Pirate, please check out my website at www.kathrynsmith.ca

Return to my blog in a while for photos of the finished masterpieces done by all of you!

My best regards,
Kathryn
www.kathrynsmith.ca
www.hamiltonartist.com

This is a Christmas recipe worth repeating.

Nothing beats brining when it comes to the most delicious and moist turkey that you have ever tasted. 

Brining a turkey is very easy and is little more than a salt water bath with the addition of herbs and fruit.  This must be done however on a thawed or preferably fresh turkey and left to soak for 24 hours.  Therefore put the turkey in the brine early in the day on Christmas Eve so that it will be ready to go into the oven Christmas morning.

Please go to my recipe category to see “How to brine a turkey” and then make “My best cranberry sauce recipe” to go with it.

 Glad tidings of the season and a very Merry Christmas from

Chaucer, Catya and Kathryn

www.kathrynsmith.ca     www.hamiltonartist.com 

There are a variety of definitions for the word ‘charity’.  Two of those definitions are:  “a generous action” and “something given to someone in need”.  Taking these two definitions to heart in their most literal translations this Christmas, I have decided that charity does begin at home, or at least close to home.

I’m not going to advocate that anyone fore-go their charitable donations or abandon their charitable work, but what if you cut back a bit, or took the money that you would have spent on something useless like, yet another, Christmas decoration and instead, found one or two people that you know and paid it forward to them.  It might be a relative down on their luck, a neighbor who is unemployed, a friend with a small business that is not doing so well right now.  What if you made them your charitable donation this year?  This does not mean that you have to humble them or make them feel worthless.  Think of all the little things that you could do for one or two other people: 

• -How about decorating the front of the neighbor’s house for Christmas?  If you are doing your own, just buy extra garlands and bows, etc and ask the neighbor to help you decorate your house and in return you will help decorate theirs with the ‘extra’ as you are sure that you bought too much. 
• -Get back to baking.  Go grocery shopping and take all of the ingredients over to a friends house and suggest that you both do all of your baking together and then just share the final products.
• -Maybe your relatives would really appreciate you bringing over a basket of baked goods or even some main dishes.  Suggest a get-together at their home and offer to purchase or make all of the food.
• -Just drop in on a friend with a lunch or dinner that you have made.
• -And almost all of us know some small business owner who may really be struggling.  What is it that they make or sell at their business?  Can you shop for your friends there?  Is it a service that has gift certificates?  Ask some of your acquaintances to purchase from this proprietor.  Do you have a different small business?  Can you cross market with them by having some of each of your stuff at each other’s place?
• -Or maybe you actually have more money than time.  An anonymous gift in the form of a money order can seem like a windfall to someone who is flat broke.

Maybe at some time in your life, someone once helped you.  They probably do not expect you to pay them back since the true spirit of giving asks for nothing in return.  What they would expect is your gratitude and the best way of showing this is to pay forward their generosity of spirit to someone else. 

So, imagine if everyone helped someone else this Christmas.  The economy might just get a little better and we may discover the true meaning of the words charity and community.  You might just find that you have become a better person for ‘paying it forward’ this Christmas.

Enjoy all the wonders of this season,

Kathryn

www.kathrynsmith.ca     www.hamiltonartist.com

It’s December the 1st.  While the onset of December is significant in itself, it also marks the day that 2 Toronto radio stations will commence playing only Christmas music and carols.  The stations are 97.3 and 105.7.  My choice is the former – 97.3.  If memory serves me correctly, several years ago this station had the lowest ratings and thought that they had nothing to lose by playing only Christmas carols for the entire month of December.  I believe that it may have been somone’s idea of a joke.  Their ratings began to go up as there are a lot of people out there that are just like me and really want to listen to Christmas carols for an entire month.  Obviously I don’t work in a mall. 

So, hopefully these radio stations will be doing the same this year.  Or if you happen to be like me and love jazz, try listening on your computer.  Go to www.jazz.fm and click onto “Cool Yule” – their 24 hour a day Christmas music via the net.  This is great if you’re having a party or just need some Christmas cheer.  There is quite a variety of old, new and many carols that you have probably never heard before… and all done by jazz artists.

Kathryn

www.kathrynsmith.ca     www.hamiltonartist.com

Tomorrow’s the first of December.  The temperature is hovering a little above freezing with the precipitation alternating between light drizzle and wet snow.  And so it is that today should be the day that I decided to decorate the planters and put up some Christmas lights outside of my building.  Nothing like doing electrical work in the rain.  I have been electrocuted once and fallen off a ladder twice.  Shades of ‘Christmas Vacation’.  You know, that was all that the director really missed in the movie; while Chevy Chase was up on the roof, installing the gazillions of lights, a gentle snow should have started falling.  Cue for Chase to look up and smile at the heaven-sent Hallmark moment.  Fast forward a couple of hours… the gentle snow has turned to sleet and icy rain with strong winds and a dropping thermometer – it IS supposed to be Chicago!  So I have a warped sense of humor.

Anyway, today I went to my favorite Christmas nursery/store, Rendezvous Gardens, 1134  Plains Rd. West in Burlington, Ontario; 905-570-1500.  Remember where the old Rendezvous Drive-Inn use to be?  Next to the Royal Botanical Gardens?  Hence the name.  This small garden centre has the freshest greenery and the garlands are just stuffed full of mixed boughs.  The store is a feast for the eyes at Christmas with decorations that I never see anywhere else (probably because so much is by local artisans or made in Canada).  The price of the boughs was about $2.00 more each than those at the giant, nameless-in-this-blog, grocery chain in Hamilton.  But guess what?  The boughs at Rendezvous Gardens were bigger.  My point is that even spending a couple of dollars extra is worth it to know that you are buying local and helping to support the small businesses that are the backbone of our North American society. 

“Self-employment has climbed to 10% since 2002 while paid employment has advanced by only 1%” according to the Global Economic Research of Scotiabank with 1 out of every 5 new jobs being created in the self-employment, small business sector.  The key to our own economic survival depends on the loyalty of consumers who are willing to support small businesses and buy Canadian where possible.

So before you go out to buy all of your garlands, boughs, wreaths and decorations, give some thought not only to your own Christmas budget, but to supporting your economic future.  Check around at some of the other small, local businesses in your area.  For give-away items at my studio tour this year www.holidaystudiotour.com I went to the Discount Emporium on Locke St. in Hamilton’s S.W. area.  I bought 60 mosaic glass candle holders that are approximately 6″ tall and about 3″ in diameter… for only $1.00 each… and they are made in Canada.  There are many, many small businesses that are offering quality merchandise as affordably as they can.  This year I plan of giving many of my friends gift baskets of wine jelly that are made by a friend’s sister who also runs her own business.  If you are going to the One of a Kind show in Toronto this week, check out Tracy’s Wine Jellies at booth C-26 or visit www.tracyswinejellies.com

Enjoy all that the Christmas season has to offer,

Kathryn

www.kathrynsmith.ca     www.hamiltonartist.com  

It’s a little less than a month before Christmas and I’ve been doing some baking.  This is the easiest banana bread to make and always turns out perfect.

This recipe originally came from someone at the Dundas Valley School of Art.  I have added walnuts and chocolate and substituted all of the ingredients for their organic counterparts.  I also used free-trade bananas; they take longer to ripen and arn’t so sweet once ripe.

Just the best darned Banana Bread that you’ve ever tasted!

4 large ripe free-trade bananas

4 large organic free range eggs

1/2 cup organic safflower oil (or any light tasting cooking oil)

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sour milk

3 cups plus 2 Tbsp. organic flour

2 cups plus 3 1/2 Tbsp. organic cane sugar

1 Tbsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. organic sea salt

________________

1 cup crushed walnuts

2/3 cup bittersweet free-trade  chocolate broken into chip-size pieces

Measure all dry ingredients (except walnuts and chocolate) into a large mixing bowl.  In smaller mixing bowl, mash bananas and add all wet ingredients.  Pour the wet mixture into the dry and beat on low until well mixed.  With a wooden spoon or spatula mix in the walnuts and chocolate.

Pour into 3 greased 8 x 4 inch loaf pans.  Bake at 275 degrees for 1 and 1/2 hours in centre of oven with a pan of water on bottom rack.  Makes 3 loaves.

Bon appetit,

Kathryn

www.kathrynsmith.ca     www.hamiltonartist.com

I went to Limeridge Mall last evening to make a delivery and do a bit of pre-Christmas shopping.  When I pulled into a parking spot I noticed the bumper sticker on the vehicle in front of me.  It read:  ‘LOST YOUR JOB YET – KEEP BUYING FOREIGN’.  To me this pretty well summed up our sagging economy.

The ‘ME’ generation has grown up.  Everyone wants to live like the rich and famous and never-mind the consequences.  The huge vehicle (foreign usually) and all the stuff that has to be the biggest, best and have the newest bells and whistles on it.  Now get it for the cheapest price possible and never mind where it is made. 

Those people working in industry, especially the auto sector, are acutely aware of their own jobs being at stake when they purchase a new vehicle.  Why?  Because it is suddenly their own job on the line.  Unfortunately the average person doesn’t give much thought to the fact that we are shooting ourselves in the foot every time we buy anything foreign that could have been made in North America instead.  Sure the price is going to be higher; our wages and standard of living is higher!  We can’t hold the government responsible for this one, except maybe for implementing free trade in the first place.  The recession lies squarely in the lap of every North American person who continues to buy foreign products. 

I’m going to admit that I also occasionally run into a ‘dollar store’ for a card or something, and trying to find clothing that is Made in Canada is almost impossible – but largely I am a local-living-economy producer and consumer.  Firstly I try to buy locally from small, independent retailers in my area.  Next I try to buy Canadian and then North American.  And as all of my friends know:  you will never, ever see me in a Walmart!

Can’t we spend a little more on an item and live with a little less?  Or is everyone just so unhappy these days that shopping and buying themselves endless ’stuff’ is the only joy that we are getting out of life?

Kathryn

www.kathrynsmith.ca     www.hamiltonartist.com

Thank you to everyone who voted for me …and to whomever nominated me in the first place.  I have just been informed that I have won the Hamilton Spectator Reader’s Choice Award of ‘Favorite Artist of the Year -2008′.

Thank you Hamilton,

Kathryn

www.hamiltonartist.com     www.kathrynsmith.ca