Artistic expressions

Sorry folks, but I need a little divergence from the theme this week. I've been talking at length about art and its meaning and what constitutes art and who gets to judge that etc. I realized my opinion is a darned wishy washy position and I was curious about what my assembled think tank thinks.

First, the questions: What is art? Who decides? What is *not* art? (sometimes it is easier to define the negative before the existent) That being said, can there be something which is art by definition, but is *bad* art? I'd really like to open a dialogue on this subject. I know in Hugh Curtler's Aesthetics class and others we spent a great deal of time on the subject, and in most philosophy/art classes this is also true. I don't want to reinvent the wheel but I am curious what my friends and loved ones think.

Now, for my opinion. Skip this part if you haven't already come to your own conclusions, I don't want to taint your response. Please if you do read it let me know where you think I commit a fallacy or in another way you disagree. Note that all below is my opinion, so I am leaving out the 'I think' statements as it is inferred to be inclusively such.

What is art? Art is something which a person, heretofore the artist, defines as art. This might be definitional through their act of creation such as in the cases of painting, sculpture or a ballet dancer, or it might be through the act of capturing something found or natural and manipulating it or leaving it as-is in the classic case of photography, found driftwood made into furniture, (direct from class, and that almost 10 years ago!) a crazy amazing sunrise that you alone see and declare to be a visual art, sea-glass on the beach that is sharp on one side and totally smooth on the other so reminiscent of the killer/gentle principles of the ocean itself, whatever. But the act of defining something as art makes it so, regardless of the qualitative nature of your opinion as a third-party looking at it. You might not find something compelling about it but that doesn't mean that you can disqualify their definition. The other definitive aspect would be that the artist has to be compelled by their art. They have to find something to communicate, to elaborate, to showcase, to convey, to 'compel' them to that definition. This might seem overly restrictive but if you think about it, it is necessary to pull in the parameters and also continue on the tack of artistic expression. It doesn't matter if the viewer understands the same thing the artist does, so long as the artist earnestly believes. This is what differentiates art from mere decorative objects or random acts.

With a definition that broad, can there be bad art? Like, totally. Sorry, the tenor was getting too serious and I needed to cut it a little to maintain my humor today. Anyway yes, you as the viewer can define something as bad for you. It does not speak to you, it is sloppily effected, it is generally of poor quality next to others of its type...whatever. Much of the abstract and modern art world is this way to me...much of it is not. Sometimes it's just that I don't understand, sometimes I understand and it just is poorly done, sometimes it just isn't an idea/concept/etc. that I find compelling in their communicative fashion. Whatever the reason, yes, for you there can be bad art. There can even be art that 99% of people say is bad, and it can still be art.

Enough is enough, Rhiannon! Why does this matter to me?

For one, in this global world of ours more and more we are exposed to things which are beyond our knowledge and experience. It pays in spades to be able to look at these and analyze them without having to always feel like you understand them. Heh, maybe that's part of what makes me so flexible: I accept I don't understand most of the world around me and don't let it hang me up too much. Now people, that's another story...

Saving Money #3: Impulse buys

How to not buy more shoes: Stop going where shoes live, little girl!

The end.

Actually, it's more of a 'if you know you have a hard time resisting something, don't go where you can aquire it unless you intend to buy them, because you will.' Invariably there will be a good deal that you cannot resist and you will find yourself purchasing more shoes, stereo equipment, motorcycles, handbags, makeup....whatever. If you stay away from it and don't give yourself access, you won't find the deals and therefore feel compelled to get whatever it is. In this consumer-driven world, there is always a good deal to be found that if you wait you'll find again, I promise.

Now, to save yourself from picking up that one little extra thing each time you go to Target for laundry soap, just don't go into any other aisles. Don't browse, don't linger. Do what you need to and get out! There is so much marketing intel that goes into the layout of stores as well as the displays, you really just don't have a chance. Wonder why the milk is always way in the back of the grocery? Well of course because then you have to go past everything else to get there and just *have* to have that bag of potato chips or cookies. Same deal just a little more sneaky elsewhere.

Again, you need to think in the macro. Does it matter that you spent another extra $15 dollars on that eyeshadow you just had to have? Not particularly as a one-off. But when you add it up over the year and you do something like that every other week...it adds up. So think about it as it's drawn out amount. Eyeshadow every 2 weeks...$390 a year. Starbuck's twice a week...$520. Crazy deal on Vera Wang display shoes twice a month..$360. Extra adult beverage when you really only needed 1 with dinner, once a week...$520. Already there we have a ticket to Bali, wouldn't that be better?

Saving Money #2: Dining in for Dummies

So you're at the grocery once again, and the only things that seem appealing are the pre-made deli dinners, and you can't imagine cooking every night for just yourself when PBJ is still available? You can eat like a human and still save money and calories (there are so many needless calories in pre-made food unless you are really paying attention you can easily overeat every day of the week) if you plan it out right.

My friend Jack reminded me how frustrating living by yourself and trying to cook can be, but you don't need to cook every day to have homemade food. Especially if you have some friends.

Cook and freeze. We all have several favorite things that we make as our staples, but that are simply too time-consuming to make every time we need a little sustenance. What you can do is choose one night a week, or every two, to have as your cooking night and cook 3 or 4 dishes with enough to be able to freeze a portion or two of each, about 2 servings. Then before you go to work, take something out of the freezer, and you've got a serving for dinner plus for lunch the next day! But not so much you get sick of it or waste any. If you don't finish everything you need to before the next scheduled cooking day, well then, it just means you've got more diversity to choose from. :)

As for items that I know freeze well:
Savory and hearty soups with clear broths (not milky) like beef stew, chicken and dumplings, Thai peanut soup, and many many more.
Carne adovada, one of my personal faves. If you want the recipe, let me know.
Crock pot items will be covered in another post, but often are very good frozen
Red rice and beans with turkey sausage
Roasted poultry
Roast beast
Broiled/roasted root vegetables

Let me know if you'd like specifics, I'd be happy to share.

Due to multiple requests, I am posting a couple recipes. These are as close as I can get to exact, anyone who's seen me cook knows that I can't be exact to save my soul. Okay fine, anyone who's seen me do much of anything knows I have a very...erm....fluid way of doing things. Note: all these recipes are meant to either serve 4+ or be frozen. Also, none of these are my own creations although they might have been tweaked some from their original sources. If I know where it came from exactly I will link, no intention of slight exists, if you find the reference please let me know so I can give credit where due. :)

Carne adovada:
4-5 lbs of roast beef, any type will do. I've even used flank steak and similar when it's on sale, since it slow cooks forever, it really just becomes a happy mush so those types that are usually more tough just really work as well.
2-3 cans of El Pato (you can find it in the Hispanic foods section, if it ends up too hot, substitute equal part tomato sauce)
2-3 cans of hatch or roasted green chiles (feel free to substitute equal quantities of fresh, I just get a little lazy)
1 can jalapenos (to taste, leave these out if you don't want it too hot)
1-2 T minced garlic (IMHO the more the better!!!!)
Salt to taste
Cayenne/black pepper to taste
2-3 t ground cumin
1/4 cup tequila (optional, but it adds a nice counterpoint)
1/2 minced onion (optional, it depends on my mood, sometimes I just don't feel like onions and they make my tummy hurt)

Remove the fat from the beef, the more lean the better to me. Leave anything within the grain unless it is larger than 1/4" in width/depth. Cut the beef into cubes and brown in a pan with the garlic. Drain the fat and put into slow cooker. Add all the other ingredients and stir. Put on medium-high for 4-8 hours or longer if you need to. Stir when you can, but doesn't need it more than every several hours. If you can only cook it for 4 hours, it might not have wholly become mush. If not, just use a spoon (I generally prefer wooden cooking implements, it's a preference) and squish the beef against the wall of the cooker, it will just shred and fall apart. If it's been longer, it probably could use some mushing anyway, but just tamp it down a little with your spoon, that should be all it needs. Serve with tortilla chips or as burrito/enchilada filling, salt to taste.

Coq au vin
Note: this won't be anywhere near as pretty as traditional coq au vin, and the sauce doesn't end up with that sugary stickiness that's kinda awesome, but it definitely does the trick.

4+ frozen/fresh chicken breasts. Don't need to be thawed if still frozen.
1/2 bottle or dry red like merlot, zin, cab...etc. The rest can be used to create a glaze for any side dish or just drink happily. Remember that if you can't drink the wine because it's horrible, it won't make any better of a cooking wine.
Garlic and more garlic, minced please. On that note, I cheat and use the pre-minced that comes in jars. No muss, no fuss. Probably about 2-3 T.
2 t ground thyme
2 cups (about) of chicken stock or vegetable stock. I never use boullion as I haven't had success with it as a consistent quality ingredient so always just get either the stuff in cartons, make my own or in cans.
1 can tomato sauce (some people like more tomato-y, I prefer to have the wine speak the loudest)
1 whole yellow onion, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Put the onions in a pan and cook until tender, I use about 2 T of olive oil to achieve this. Then put everything into the slow cooker and cook 6-8 hours. The chicken will far apart too easily, part of what makes it not as pretty, so be careful taking it out of the dish if presentation is a consideration. Then thicken the sauce, heat up a couple T of water, then mix in an equal part of cornstarch until it entirely dissolves. Put this solution into the liquid in the slow cooker, strain to get rid of chicken fats and little solid chicken bits that fell off, again, if presentation is a consideration. Otherwise pour to taste over chicken.


Mild green chile pork loin

3-4 lbs pork loin (or more, just increase quantities)
2 cans green/hatch chiles, for interest, I prefer the ones that are roasted for a more mellow flavor
3-4 t cumin
1-2 T minced garlic
1-2 C water
salt and pepper to taste

Place everything in the crock pot, cook for 4-6-8-? hours, whatever you have. Remove pork loin from liquid and enjoy. Note, I actually kinda like the liquid taste, so I generally reserve some of it and keep it with the pork. That way even reheating it stays extra extra moist. Stupid word, moist, but useful.


For soup recipes, the book I like I am still trying to find online, so bear with me a mite.

Saving Money #1: Flowers and vases

Due to underwhelming demand and overwhelming ideas...I've decided to begin a series on saving money in these trying times while still being able to enjoy yourself and maintain a lifestyle that allows for happiness and exploration. I hope you enjoy!

Saving Money #1: Flowers and vases
Even in these trying times, there are still birthdays, holidays, Mother's Day, dinners and about a million other occassions where the gift of flowers is still the social requirement. That being said, paying a florist to arrange for me a bouquet, mixed or single flower, has always galled me unless the issue is distance and I'm sending it from afar. Unless we are talking the highest of the high-end where the florists really are artists, I feel like there is not so much that the layperson florist can do that I can't. Research a little on the internet, visit their cooler and see what's interesting and happy at the moment, then work a little magic and voila! Save beaucoup bucks and end up with something more personalized and special. Martha Stewart has done countless articles on traditional hand-tied bouquets as well as the practice of creating it in the hand (completely useless for giant arrangements, but for your average small-medium one that you normally see and give, perfect!) to keep symmetry.

The flowers you choose also determine the cost to a great degree. Flowers, like all natural items have seasons and when in-season, are often infinitely more expensive than when they can only be hothouse grown. Do you just HAVE to have those lilacs in September? Expect to pay more and get lower-quality. Flowers are shipped from all over the world it's true, and actually getting somethign which is locally grown is only going to be possible at your farmer's market, and that even rarely. The only exemption to the relative cost difference is roses. They often are fairly statically priced except for around the traditional rose-giving holidays like Valentine's and Mother's Day, when they spike up exponentially. Instead of long-stemmed sweetheart red roses that she's seen over and again, why not try gorgeous spray roses in a myriad of colors, mix them with some alstromera for a backdrop and happiness is. Both pretty inexpensive but jubillant. Are orchids the thing, or callas? Again, while they are both breathtaking, often the expense is a bit prohibitive. Try either an orchid plant, it'll last longer, or taking a couple stems and mixing a dark or vibrantly colored orchid/calla set within an arrangement of small all-white flowers to off-set their unique beauty.

Saving money on the vase for presentation is also easy. It takes a little but more patience and forethought, but can be done. If you buy the vase at the florist or a craft store, you are often paying a premium for mass-produced items. Why not stock up whenever you find someone having a sale? Or when you find a bargain at a discount department store like Marshall's or TJMaxx? They often have high-end vases that maybe they only had one left of, or it's an odd color, or whatever that you can get for a song. A couple bucks and you have a stunning foundation on which to build your fanciful creation. Just pick them up whenever you see them and have a stable to choose from when it's time. Your recipient will appreciate not having to disturb the arrangement to place it in water, as well as the thoughtful augmentation of the beauty.

Another thing to pick up when you find them cheap in antique stores, second-hand stores or craft stores (becoming more scarce) are floral frogs. Simple to use and vital with heavier arrangements for keeping things in place, they are also a reminder of gentler times gone by.

More tips and tricks to come, but just remember: You were invited to someone's house for dinner they are especially preparing for you, why would you show your gratitude and affection by bringing a bottle of wine you'll drink half (at least!) of anyway?