Inspired by my brother

I had no idea that my older brother had a favorite bird. One of our mutual friends posted a picture to facebook of a cardinal in his back yard and my brother commented that it was his fav bird. So I went work....

And then I painted my favorite bird...

They are both painted on 3x5" mirrors with the same paint I use on my glasses. (Enamels) I baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and now they are ready to give as gifts!

Holidays are near...

In no time at all the kids will be waking us all up Christmas morning to open presents. Why not buy all your gifts from local business this year? Take the challenge and buy only items Made in the USA. Try a little harder and find things made in your own state. The ultimate challenge would to buy gifts only from the local businesses in your community.

I believe by doing this we all will have to think a lot more about the type of gift we buy each other. It will result in receiving and giving gifts that came from the heart and were well thought out for the specific person.

Below I've posted some of my newest glasses. People just like you and me took some time to think about what they could give to their loved ones. All glasses are hand painted or etched so no two are exactly alike and personalized for the person receiving the gift.

 This one I also painted the base black and the stem black and silver, based on the customer request. On the backside it says, "Belinda's Sippy Cup"

 

 

 This snow man wine glass is also personalized with, "Leslie's Sippy Cup" in a red and white font.

"Friends are the flowers of life" was personalized with a name on the back and with the colors.

 

Sometimes people prefer the etched look over the painted look. It's elegant and delicate.

 

 

This mug is for an avid hunter. I camouflaged the name Jackie on the front. I also asked what colors she wanted to use. There are so many options.

This is one of my favorite glasses. The gift giver asked for these flowers and personalize it with a name on the back side. I enjoy using different fonts with different images.

 

I have painted and etched so many glasses already for this holiday season, and hope to do many more. Thank you to all that place orders through my facebook page A Glass of Art & More.

 

Not only for the holidays!

These glasses were painted for a woman and her friends and relatives to remind them of how Alzheimer's has touched their lives.

 

These are a wedding gift. They were inspired by the invitations.

 

Enchilada Soup

I had someone ask me for my recipe for Chicken Enchilada Soup... so here it is...

1 box chicken broth
3 lb frozen chicken breast
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can (28oz) mild enchilada sauce (trust me it's spicey enough)
1 can green chilies
1 sm chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves
salt
pepper
(I sometimes add other spices depending on my mood)
TOPPERS:
shredded cheese
sour cream
tortilla chips

I placed the frozen chicken breast in a pot and covered with broth and enough water so the chicken is completely submerged. I added all the other ingredients and let it cook on medium heat for about 40-60 minutes. Spoon into bowls, top with shredded cheese, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips and enjoy. (Add more salt and pepper to taste if needed.)

If you choose to you can pre-cut the chicken into bite size pieces, use ground beef or turkey as well (brown the ground meat before adding it to the pot). If you use beef use a beef broth. If you don't have broth you can use water and add bouillon cups. You can leave the meat out completely too if you choose.

This works great in a crock pot too! If you start it in the morning you can leave it on low until dinner, if you start it mid-day turn it to high. Enjoy!