SEDONA: Day 5

We sleep in this morning and are pleased to get up to sunshine! Today’s the day for the potentially cheesy galleries—Mexidona and a local Art Mart. We discover only a few interesting, but not compelling, things at the Art Mart. First, a taupe linen towel designed to hang on your frig or stove. The linen towel is nicely hemmed and then hand stitched just a bit above the hem with a same color thread. The part that buttons over the handle is a bad print (double-sided), but I’m interested in making these myself using a fantastic print with the linen, and an over-the-top button closure—either bedazzled or tortoise shell.

And, a few chunks of red rock with a lone SW figure etched into each stone—paperweights or coasters. Also, a cowgirl-print apron with faux-leather pockets and a flouncy ruffle and cute polka-dotted neck closure.

Mexidona reminds me of a lot of what we see in Santa Fe--hand painted terra cotta, rustic furniture, iron lamps and sconces, hand-made Navajo baskets, tile house numbers, and planters for your SW gardenscape.

CA wants to take photos at Tlaquepaque on this sunny day, and we can’t resist lunch at Rene’s. Very, very lovely ambience and wonderful food. We may be in the SW, but this French bistro is a welcome find. CA chooses sand dabs in a browned butter, and I have the eggs Florentine—tasty poached eggs on a bed or sautéed spinach, over a fresh-baked English muffin; topped with the smoothest and loveliest Hollandaise I can ever imagine. The hash brown potatoes that accompany my eggs are very finely grated, but a bit oily and saturated for my taste. The plate is garnished with a large fresh strawberry and a twist of orange. Very pretty and absolutely wonderful.

When we return to the Sedona Summit I take some time to walk the property and soak in the warm sunshine. The red rock panoramas are as advertised, and I find a sunny spot and a comfortable chair to linger and appreciate the landscape. I can’t believe the colors and how the sun/clouds/weather interact to highlight different shades, density, and tones of the terra cottas, blues, greens, and greys.

Soon CA shows up with our big camera and the telephoto lens. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes with the lens to convince us that we will buy the digital version of this Canon camera. We’ve been assured that our two existing lenses will fit perfectly. I’m looking forward to upping the ante on my blog photos.

Tonight I'll cook for the first time this week in our studio. Frustrated by ho-hum and worse food, I have decided to make a simple version of taco soup for dinner tonight. I am continuing to be encouraged to put together a cookbook for timeshare/vacation meals that require few ingredients and are full of freshness and flavor.

TACO SOUP
[Serves 6]

1-1/2 lb Ground beef
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
2 14-1/2 oz cans Hunts Fire Roasted Tomatoes, with juice
1 14 oz can Kidney or black beans, drained
1 17 oz can Corn, with juice
1 8 oz can Tomato sauce
1 pkg Taco seasoning
1 cup Water
Salt and pepper to taste.

1. Brown beef in large, heavy pan.
2. Drain beef and add onions.
3. Cook until onions are tender.
4. Add remaining ingredients; simmer for 15 minutes.

Garnish with shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc.