I am in a pickle! I don't want to start an oil painting....I seem to want to continue with my little watercolor collages. I know I need to face a large stark white canvas and show it who is boss...but actually, I am not feeling very boss-ish right now. I'm much happier doing my little collages.  I have Art in the Vines coming up in June, June 11th to be exact, and I think I will combine some of my collages with the oils I have done during the last 10 months. I hope my section in the vines will look okay.... I've decided to include Ponte Vecchio, a painting I did for myself, for my own home about 10 months ago. I love the painting, (maybe that sounds like I am bragging, but the painting truly makes me happy!) but I think I can do another painting for me.  I am also going to include my large floral and a few of my acrylic abstracts. It should be colorful!

This year's Art in the Vines is by invitation only and is strictly "painters only" this year. Last year I bit off more than I could chew....didn't do myself any favor, and then the weather wiped us out! So, I am being cautious this year. The painters we have lined up are exceptional! The show should be wonderful....so mark your calendars now....Saturday, June 11th....11am to 5 pm! Please come and visit with me! Come have a glass of Somerset Ridge Wine with me!
I will post directions to Somerset Ridge as we get closer to the time for Vines.....but actually, why not now? You could come down and have some wine with me any weekend! So, take Highway 69 south out of Overland Park. Go approximately 17 miles to the Louisburg/Highway 68 exit. At top  of the ramp, turn right (west) and go approximately 4 miles, just past the Louisburg Cider Mill to Somerset Road. (There are signs to direct you to the vineyard) Turn left (south) onto Somerset and continue south, going straight at the Y in the road. Before you cross the creek, the road turns into gravel. Continue south to the vineyard, turn left into parking lot. Simple! Come see us. Remember, May 7th and 8th is Miami CountFarm Tour....always lots of fun!

While I haven't been painting, I have been cooking. My kitchen has been getting a workout!  I am so anxious for the Farmer's markets to open....Just think about it....ripe red tomatoes, crisp golden corn on the cob, bright green fresh herbs, melons so fragrant you can find them with your nose!  Organic farm fresh eggs are now abundantly available! Crack one of those beauties open and you find big beautiful golden yolks. I used a few in fresh pasta; it turned out golden in color! Gorgeous! My deviled eggs looked magnificent.

Speaking of deviled eggs,  several people at the vineyard asked me for my recipe for my eggs. I had to laugh....recipe? I don't believe so.  You put the eggs in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, place lid on the pot and set the timer for 11 minutes exactly. While they are "cooking", fix a big bowl of ice water, lots of ice cubes...When the timer goes off, drain the pan of eggs and put eggs in the ice water. When eggs are cool,  either refrigerate or proceed with recipe for deviled eggs.
Peel the eggs, rinse with cold water, place aside to air dry.  Cut each egg in half and remove the yolks, placing them in the bowl of the food processor. Set the whites to the side for now.
Pulse the egg yolks for a few seconds, just to break them up.  Depending on how many eggs you are deviling, add just enough real mayonnaise to make a thick filling. Slowly add additional mayo, pulsing as you add, until filling is creamy and smooth. Add a squirt of either yellow or Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust.
Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a large star tube, with the filling and pipe filling into egg white halves. Sprinkle tops of eggs with paprika, Spanish smoked paprika, cracked blacked pepper,  a tiny spoon of caviar, a few capers, etc.  For some special occasions I have topped with anchovies or tiny shrimp.
Deviled Eggs are a favorite of so many people. The deviled egg plate is usually the first empty serving piece... it never fails!

Just think, in a little over 9 weeks, we will be dining on deviled eggs, those bright red ripe sliced tomatoes and steaming ears of the golden corn on the cob dripping with butter! And the melons! I've missed all of them so much.
So, watch for your Farmer's Market to  open soon....visit it weekly! Fresh, locally grown produce is so much better than that in the grocery store. Remember....Eat and Drink Locally!