Letterpres Box, Knick Knack, Cabinet of Curiosities

I just attached some picture wire to an old letterpress box. How to hang such a heavy thing on a brick wall.  
Credit where due for the idea to littleprojectiles

Thanksgiving leftover turkey tamale recipe.

Modified from: http://www.sonofthesouth.net/tamales/Tamales_Recipe_.htm

Supplies:
Left over turkey, giblets and bones for making turkey broth.
Salt, paprika, cumin, hot sauce.
2lbs Masa
canola oil
Corn shucks (start soaking in warm water when you make to dough)
Big double boiler pot

Dough:
1) Boil the giblets and carcass in a big pot of water to make a large amount of turkey broth at least 2 quarts.
 2) Mix 2lbs of Masa (one half bag) with cumin, salt and paprika.
 3) Add 2 cups canola oil to the flour.
4) Slowly add ~2 qt. warm turkey broth to the dough mixing until it forms an nice thick paste. almost as thick as peanut butter.

Meat:
1) Shred leftover turkey, dark meat preferred
2) Add canola oil to leftover turkey until thinly coated.
3) cumin, salt, hot sauce, paprika to taste.

Assembly/Cooking:
1) soak the husks in warm water
2) apply the dough and turkey and roll as shown below
3) put in your double boiler and bring to a boil
4) reduce to medium and let cook for 2 hours
5) take out of boiler and let sit for 10min prior to enjoying
6) apply cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy or whatever if available

DIY COFFEE: Homegrown homeroasted... Single bean style.

Working to prepare for the apocalypse... which ever is currently in vogue. I think meteors currently. To that effect here is how I grew, roasted and brewed my own coffee. All be it on a small scale. Do you like small scale brewing? Check out my growing and brewing my own beer.

Coffee flowers on my Arabica plant. These are the first ones and the plant is now 7 years old.

The first coffee bean.... so pretty. Once it was somewhat soft to the touch I put it in a mesh bag (the kind fruit comes in) and left it hang in the LA sun for a few hot days.

This is what it looks like dried.

 I then peel the bean with my fingers.

The coffee beans then go into the Air Popper until they are a nice light roast.

 Roasted!

 Grinding. Would be lost if I put it in the regular grinder.

Don't forget to pre-heat the morter and pessel. Yum!... sort of. Tasted a little bit like light coffee peanut butter.

beak of the squid

all that is left of a tasty dinner.

Greatest Depictions of Cactus in Art: Matisse, Morandi, O'Keefe

Art depicting cacti by the greatest artists. Please suggest additions.

1) Matisse Patterns in The Rosaire Chapel - Ville de Vence.

Opuntia inspired patterns are common in Matisse's work. This piece is stained glass in the Rosaire Chapel a chapel designed for Dominican nuns by Matisse. The image below is a screen shot from an interesting documentary about the Chapel and a nun who worked with and modeled for Matisse.

A screen shot from: A Model for Matisse

2) Giorgio Morandi's Cactus Painting. 

Italian still life painter whose cactus painting is an oddity among mostly vases bottles and bowels. The book sadly gives no genus nor species for this plant but perhaps a Parodia magnifica? Pachycereus pringlei? I would love to hear your suggestions.
 
Giorgio Morandi 1890-1964: Nothing Is More Abstract Than Reality

 3) Georgia O'Keefe- Yellow Cactus 

Another Opuntia. 

opuntia stock epiphyllum scion cactus graft

Love it. Looks like a cactus out of a Krazy Kat comic.

I used the technique described in this video.

 Also check out my other ephiphyllum graft.

Staghorn fern palm frond mounted to look like elk head.

This is how i choose to display my new Staghorn Fern that I bought at the LA flower market. I found the palm frond in the road and carved it out to make it a space for it. Then a little moss and tied it down with a string. Hopefully as the roots grow into the frond I can take off the string.