This is not fine art, but baking is still creative.                                                                            So many people have asked me for this recipe that I’ve remembered to finally post it.

Probably makes 6 dozen (though I eat so many, I’ve never counted).       

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Gruyere, grated (I do this in a food processor)

2 sticks salted butter, room temp.

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 & 1/2 cups flour

1 cup chopped pecans (again, food processor).

In a medium sized bowl, cream together cheese and butter. In a large bowl mix flour and cayenne. Gradually add butter mixture to flour. Add nuts, mix well.

Divide dough in 1/2. Shape into two logs, each 1.5″ in diameter. (Sprinkle tiny bits of water if needed to help shape dough). Wrap well w/ plastic wrap & refrigerate at least 1 hour.

With a sharp knife, cut logs into 1/4″ slices. Place on un-greased cookie sheets 1″ to 2″ apart. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 350 F degrees until lightly colored. Cool on racks and then store in air-tight containers.

These freeze well so can be made ahead if needed.

Enjoy!

as I had been an art student at Keene State in Keene, NH for a couple of years before I moved to Boston and then to New York City. (The Woven Sun art in the first photo is to become part of their permanent collection).

The display has been up since August, 2011, and since there was no contract, I don’t know when it will come down. In the mean time the work is hanging throughout the second floor of this beautiful new facility.

…And here’s the guy who won: Bad Elvis impersonator who can’t sing.

Seriously, I may be biased, but rigged or what?

The pattern reminded me of African fabric designs I’ve seen on ladies dresses, so I was inspired to paint something in that theme. Who better than one of the most powerful African Americans in history? The whiteness of his face makes him ghostly, as if he is hovering and watching us today.

The next day we came back to work. “The show must go on”.

       The day after that I left the building to walk to the bank to deposit my paycheck. That’s when I saw the pictures of the faces of the 11 firefighters in our neighborhood who had been killed, and that’s when I finally lost it. It had taken a couple of days for the shock of reality to kick in. For days, weeks and months we would see posters plastered everywhere of people who had been missing. I couldn’t walk by them without crying.                                                                                                   One day I created some art to express the anger & depression that had been consuming me. I drew the angriest face I could. Years later (maybe eight years after the attack) I was in a good place emotionally and I started to soften. I bought a bunch of peaceful bumper stickers and plastered them all over my old painting to show that there are other ways to live life, peaceful ways.

Now that Bin Laden has been killed, I’m surprised to feel my anger coming back again. I suppose it’s some sort of PTSD associated with the original event. I don’t know how I would paint the picture if I were to do it today but you can see how an artist’s passion can change from one moment to the next.