Staycation

This past week, I was on vacation. It kind of snuck up on me, so I didn't go out of town. Instead, I enjoyed staying in Chicago, sleeping late, watching a lot of movies, reading a lot of books, and enjoyed the Art Institute. My co-worker, Karen, gave me free passes to the Art Institute and the Field Museum.

This is my new favorite painting. You cannot possibly fathom how beautiful it is in person. It's by Berthe Morisot. Before I read the plaque with her name on it, I knew a woman had to have painted this portrait. The feminine details pop in such a way that the male impressionists can't duplicate. Her earring is actually raised on the canvas, and the attention to details such as the ribbon in her dress, the reflection in the mirror and the glass in the window is exquisite. I went back and saw it once more before I left, and bought a copy of it in the gift shoppe.

Creative Cooking

Tonight I made a fun little recipe. I'm not sure what to call it, yet. Perhaps Alison's Tarts?

I took a pie crust from the store, sliced some brie cheese and laid it down on one/half of it, laid some leftover chicken on top of that, drizzled some olive oil on top of teh chicken, cut up some fresh garlic, sprinkled with Mrs. Dash and put some baby spinach in there. Then I folded the pie crust in half, to cover the cheese, chicken and spinach, and sprayed it with cooking spray. I baked it at 350 for about 20 minutes.

YUM!

I want to try it again, only this time I'll do brie cheese, apple slices and a dash of cinnamon/sugar.