5.00 am, it's still dark as I wander out to the shed.

The heater and the radio are on and the "shed" has an ambience all it's own. It's the comfort

of home.

I check the emails and answer many of them.

5.30, time to finish the ironing.

Prepare the fabric because the idea for the block has finally materialized… I've been pondering this block for weeks… "By Jove, I think I've got it"

6.30. Breakfast with keith and time out to watch the news and read the paper.

 

 

 

 

Make the Tortilla Soup for dinner tonight, I can use my own tomatoes… the family picked them and foze them for me when I was in Mexico.

 

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock
juice of 1 lime, or about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice ( I use fresh)
1/2 Jalapeno pepper, finely chopped, optional
1 can mild green chiles, undrained (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
2 green onions, with most of the green, chopped
1 cup cooked chopped chicken

1 avocado, another 6 small tomatoes and a red onion.

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or a shredded Mexican blend
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Salt to taste
vegetable oil
3 corn tortillas cut in strips about 1/2-inch wide or purchased corn tortilla chips
Preparation:

Simmer chicken stock with tomatoes, lime juice, jalapeno, green chiles, cilantro, green onion,  add chicken about 5 minutes before done.
Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a deep saucepan to approximately 360° or use a deep fryer. Cook tortilla strips in batches until crispy – just a few seconds for each batch. Top each bowl of soup with tortilla strips and shredded cheese, or serve on the side.

Chop up the avocado, fresh tomato and onion and add to the top of the soup in the bowl.

Serves 4.

8.30 back in the studio, I work on the drawings and I figure I need to enlarge it for visual balance… so I need to go to Keiths office and use his fancy copier… but it was frustrating, I couldn't get it exactly right… but rather than spend time being frustrated… I will work with what I've printed…

Armed with coffee I begin the block.