ACE

Cap Region Creatives in Quarantine Gallery

April 28, 2020 By wordpress

We’ve organized the Creatives in Quarantine Gallery as a scrolling experience, so that it feels a bit like you’re strolling a physical gallery; you can stop to admire the details and notations that catch your eye, and move on to admire the next piece that interests you. We hope this provides a moment of refuge for all who visit. Inspiration and vision are as contagious as the virus, so in that spirit, let’s celebrate these creations of our fellow locals!

If you would like to submit your work, please email Gabby Fisher, ACE Digital Manager.

Submitted by Laura McDonald, Owner of Blue Peregrine Salon

Click here to watch Laura’s TikTok video, turning into Kurt Cobain.

Laura says, “I have always been an artist and usually work with oils. In the past few years I became increasingly interested in makeup as a medium but could only really use it around Halloween. I’ve decided during this quarantine, that everyday is Halloween. It started with a happy hour Zoom. I wanted to make my friends laugh so I surprised every one and showed up on the call in one of my markups . It was genuine laughter that we all needed. After that I stared to try different people and characters and post it on my social media page just to get some other people to laugh. It ended up being very therapeutic for me for my friends as well as myself.”

Submitted by Marta Parotte

Submitted by Anthony Richichi / Kayla Albano

Anthony is a gallery curator, painter and illustrator out of Glens Falls (IG). He says, “I have been working on a “virtual social-distance collab” with local illustrator/graphic designer Kayla Albano, emailing back and forth linework and building them into final pieces.” Kayla is a professional graphic designer, photographer and SUNY New Paltz graduate out of Queensbury (IG).

Submitted by Rebecca Zeh, of Saratoga Arts

Dip or No Dip, An Awesome Question, mixed media collage…Rebecca says, “My husband and I have been in quarantine together the whole time, both working from home. One night we decided to make collages as a fun creative activity we can do together. It was a lot of fun and a great use for magazines and old calendars laying around. This type of intuitive art project is very cathartic!”

New Years Day, Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve, acrylic on canvas. Rebecca says, “This painting was the first piece I started and finished in quarantine. This is a scene from a New Years Day walk at Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve. The color palette and mood of the scene very much reflect my state of mind during this time. Moody, but also hopeful with the light peaking through the clouds. It’s a great metaphor for the ups and downs I’ve been feeling and I’m sure a lot of people have been feeling.”

Rebecca is a fine artist who grew up just outside of Saratoga Springs, NY in Greenfield Center. In 2012 she received her BFA with a concentration in drawing from Pratt Institute. She has had a passion for the arts since a very young age and has exhibited her work in several businesses and art galleries in the Capital Region as well as some during her time at school in New York City. She currently works as the Exhibitions Coordinator at Saratoga Arts, a not-for-profit arts organization whose mission is to make the arts accessible to all.

Submitted by Carl Strock

From Carl: “I’m a retired newspaper columnist (Daily Gazette, Schenectady), living in Saratoga, longtime amateur photographer, who has filled much of my time taking pictures during this difficult period, mostly on daily hikes with my wife in local nature preserves, but also occasionally of the deserted streets of Saratoga at night.”

Levine Nature Preserve. Carl says, “To preserve my equilibrium in this unbalanced time I have been hiking local nature preserves, along with my wife, and taking photos along the way, then, in some cases, editing them to give them an old-time faded look and a comforting feel of antiquity.”

Submitted by Margo Singer

From Margo, “These are a few of the photos that I was planning for a show {that was planned for April but cancelled due to the crisis}, from my recent vacation to the Caribbean. I was extremely lucky to be on vacation in early March, as I returned on March 11th and I was ordered to “work from home” starting the very next day. My vacation was planned over a year ago and included visiting St. Thomas and Puerto Rico, where these photographs are taken. I often wonder how the lovely people I met in the places are faring now during the pandemic. I hope they are well and surviving, given the fact that these two communities rely heavily on tourism, especially from the cruise industry….I personally find that bright colors put me in the middle for awaiting Spring locally.”

Submitted by Annemarie Baldauf

Annemarie created this art via 3D printer.

Submitted by Elissa Kane

Submitted by Chelsea Fisher, @chrlseafishr

Chelsea has been home writing poetry, painting, and creating these collages from her own books, photos, and writing pieces. On the top right, you’ll see “I painted my nails purple in hopes you’d stay,” a piece she created “at 12am when sleep wasn’t in sight and my body ached with heartache.” On the bottom right, you’ll see the cover of her latest poetry zine, a series of poems to help everyone experience a little bit of poetry and art during quarantine. You can read it here.

Submitted by Jeff Wigman

From Jeff, “I have been busy in the studio each day, keeping in touch with the outside world through art. Nighttime has been a prevalent theme lately. Be safe everyone.”

Submitted by Jean Krueger

Jean has an on-going series of small ink drawings called ‘Daily Cat.” Here are a few samples.

Submitted by Mary Francis Millet

Embroidered piece on vintage linen, “Wash Your Hands.”

Submitted by Michelle Vara

Intimacy Without Proximity_Oil on canvas.

Michelle wrote a blog post entitled “Crazy Time of Change”, where you can find more new work.

Submitted by Maria DeAngelo, @artyladymsd

Submitted by Helen Murphy

Submitted by Jade Warrick, @trashkid_art

Jade has been at home, working alongside her birds, and creating throughout the quarantine. She painted the mural (on the top right) as part of an initiative by Albany Center Gallery to express the community’s gratitude and support for its healthcare workers and offer messages of hope throughout the crisis.

Submitted by Jeanne Finley, J-Fin Photography

Jeanne says, “I’m a writer-turned-photographer who loves to photograph people, in the street or at home or in a rally or demonstration. It’s difficult now to do that, so instead I’m focusing on the natural world, the beauty that we often overlook in our daily “normal” activity. In late March I went to Ann Lee Pond and Shaker Site in Colonie, my favorite peaceful place, and found these.

Submitted by Phyllis Brown

Phyllis is a retired art teacher retired art teacher from North Warren Central School in Chestertown. Phyllis says, “During this period of pandemic isolation, I have been inspired by artists like Matisse, who made his beautiful, colorful, and whimsical cutouts while, and despite being bedridden, and Laurel Burch, whose joyful and vibrant artwork graces scarves and tote bags and jewelry and such. Burch suffered from a brittle bone disease and lived her life in terrible pain, and yet despite the pain, created such hopeful artwork. Keeping their work in mind, I bought myself flowers during a pre-dawn trip to the grocery store and have been painting them using acrylics. Hopefully when the last of the purchased flowers has gone, there will be flowers in my yard to use for further inspiration.”

Submitted by Steve Derrick, Director of Organizational Development for Vicarious Visions / Activision Blizzard Studios

Steve created these drawings and gauche paintings of “COVID-19 medical staff eyes.” Many local response workers have reached out to him to be their subjects, and now people all over the country and UK are contacting him regarding this powerful artwork. Click here for more.

Submitted by Paul Fahey, Vice President of Overit Media

Paul says “Unfortunately, it took a pandemic for me to find the time to paint again. Although it certainly wasn’t hard to find time these past few weeks. I’m a little rusty, but here it is. I chose a cold, quiet scene to capture some of what I’ve been feeling during this time. And it’s the view from my home office that I’ve been staring at for weeks. I was a fine art major at SUNY New Paltz but spent most of my career in marketing and PR strategy. I just remembered how much I enjoyed painting and am already at work on my second this month. Now I just need to make the time to keep painting after all of this is over.”

Submitted by Richard Deon, Visual/Graphic Artist

Richard has submitted these two pieces of work from his TRIBUTE series. 1. Baby-Face, acrylic on carved, shaped plywood, metal frame, 26 in. 2. Chinese Doctor on Pie Chart, acrylic on carved, shaped plywood, metal frame, 26 in. Richard says, “The pandemic chopped a publication design project off the production schedule and left me with enough time to extend my Tribute portrait series. I was inspired by the uniform size portraits in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.”

Submission by Marilyn McCabe, Author

Marilyn is a poet based in Saratoga Springs with a new book out, Being Many Seeds. She’s done a video-poem with excerpts of the book which you can watch here. The cover photo of the book was taken by Hudson Valley playwright and photographer Nina Shengold as part of her ongoing project of documenting her life near the Ashokan Reservoir.

Submitted by Carolyn Huston

Carolyn says, “I wanted to share a video of my son reading my 12th picture book about children with autism. This one is unique because he helped select all of the photos that went it in and also helped with the wording. It was released in early March an we had hoped to promote it throughout April, Autism Awareness month. That did not happen. As April is wrapping up, I wanted to share it with you.”

Submitted by Carol Turner

Carol says, “My husband has been cooking and I have been painting the results. As you can see, some of it went in the compost pile.”

Submitted by Lynne Bunnell

Oil painting of a lone runner in Washington Park, Albany.

Submitted by Vicki Whicker, @Dunga_Brook

Vicki is an iphoneographer from the Cooperstown area. Each isolation-day, she posts a photo from her archives and a beautiful quote. To go along with this photo, she chose, ““Amor Fati – “Love Your Fate”, which is in fact your life.” Friedrich Nietzsche
…
Beauty Up—
My gift to you
in these
interesting times.
Today, we go
into the Beauty Archives for FORTITUDE.”

Submission by Nancy Gold, of Tough Traveler

The Tough Traveler is a luggage and bag manufacturer based in Schenectady. Here Nancy is wearing one of the masks her company is sewing at their facility. They’re using a “hot knife” to cut the fabric, which allows them to cut several layers at once.

Submitted by Sandra Nguyen, @UntangledYarnsbySN

Sandra says, “I am self-employed with two businesses: I am a crocheter and a manuscript editor. I wanted to share what I’ve been up to since hunkering down. When the #518rainbowhunt started up, I decided to make a rainbow to hang in my window. Then I made a few more, posted a pic, and people wanted them. So I made a dozen. They all went out in a day. I made 20 more, and yep, they’re all gone. In the midst of all that, I decided to write up the pattern and list it on Ravelry—my first time doing this. Over 120 copies of my pattern have been downloaded, and now I’m expanding my size and shape offerings, carrying on the rainbow concept. I’m thriving in the midst of the quarantine, and I’ve never been busier. So much for using up my stash—I had to order more yarn for all of my orders! Here’s my pattern link.”

Submitted by Richard Ruotolo, Ruotolo Design Shack

Richard has been home in Troy, NY and has decided to prepare some new designs for the masses. Watching TV and playing board games on a daily basis inspired Scrabble Rock, a retro design combining the vibe of 80’s favorite puppet show with the love of a classic board game. Richard’s most recent illustration is for Jacob’s Journey with MPS1. Jacob is in need of surgery and treatment. Click here to read more about Jacob who was diagnosed with MPS1 and how to purchase a shirt to help support this amazing boy and his family.

Submission by Camille Hoheb, Author

During quarantine, Camille has written **The Positive Mindset Journal | Conquering the Stress of Self-Quarantine**, a guided self-discovery journey with thought-provoking prompts and creative exercises to help see your life in a positive light. This journal can be found on Amazon.

Creatives in Quarantine: Margaret Hall & Yvonne Perry

April 22, 2020 By wordpress

Creatives in Quarantine is a segment that highlights creative professionals across the Capital Region during this period of isolation due to COVID-19. We have developed some questions that will allow our community to share experiences and learn from one another during this time.

Meet Margaret Hall (left), Associate Artistic Director of Capital Repertory Theatre (theREP) and Yvonne Perry (right), Capital Region Resident Creative & Associate Artist at theREP

Margaret & Yvonne, please introduce yourselves…What have you been up to during quarantine?

Margaret: I’m the Associate Artistic Director of Capital Repertory Theatre (theREP), part of the Proctors Collaborative (which also includes, Proctors Theatre in Schenectady and UPH – Universal Preservation Hall – in Saratoga Springs). I have worked at theREP for 8 years now. I do a wide variety of things, including directing touring productions and directing a mainstage once a year. Two years ago, I directed a World Premiere Production with Yvonne, Red Maple. Last year, our organization began connecting with some of our talented and beloved artists to create a category of Associate Artists for theRep. Yvonne is one of them. Outside of being in productions, they often help us with a variety of different things from being on our reading committee for our young playwright contest, to currently, in quarantine times, creating the Got a Minute video series, which provides tips for actors to keep honing their craft while we are all in quarantine.

Yvonne: I’m an Associate Artist for theREP and have had the pleasure of being in 7-8 main stage shows, my first one being in 2007. My relationship with theREP started before that, when I moved back to Albany to get my Masters Degree and start a family 20 years ago. I’m basically a go-to person when they need me to do anything. I love that they’re Albany’s premiere professional theater company. I’m a Chair of the Liaison for Actor’s Equity – the national union for professional theater artists. I’m also an adjunct professor at multiple local colleges. The Got a Minute series is a fun challenge for me. This quarantine has been interesting because theater is a big chunk of what I do during regular times. Theater is community based and what sets theater apart from all other acting work is that it demands a live audience. The quarantine has been a particular challenge for my colleagues and me. A lot of my friends are out of work right now, but we’re finding ways to keep ourselves viable.

Let’s talk about the local creative community, how you’ve adapted for your community and how you’ve seen people come together during these times.

Margaret: TheREP is part of the Proctors Collaborative, which consists of multiple organizations under one umbrella. We’re quite versed in working with our collaborative partners. Working as a collective in this very moment is interesting. We talk to a variety of different organizations and see what they’re doing, how they’re handling this, and how we might be able to work together. We’re trying to figure out more ways to engage with other arts and non-arts organizations in this time of strangeness. We turn to people like Yvonne who are great vocal champions for us, to remind people we are here, we are working to figure out what it means to be a live theater in a time when you can’t be live together. We are slowly but steadily developing different kinds of content and figuring out ways we can engage with our greater community.

Yvonne: I love the idea of doing these videos and sharing them with a broader audience. If you’re not a colleague of mine or one of my students, you typically don’t have access to the information I’m sharing in the videos. Can you go online or read a book and find the information? Probably, but the fact that we are part of this tight knit community and people know our faces and can get an inside scoop on the internet as to what it is what we do when you’re not seeing us acting, is invaluable. I think people are getting a kick out of that. If they’re interested in the process of a performer, this is great information. They’re getting this insight for free. I love that it’s just little nuggets of behind the scenes and ‘this is how we do what we do.’

Do you feel like you’ve been able to connect to a new audience with this new content?

Margaret: The School of Performing Arts, which spans all of the Proctor’s Collaborative organizations, has a huge following of youth in the Capital Region that are interested in musical theater, radio, film, TV, and the entertainment world in general, so in a time like this where they’re all home, these videos are a great way to keep them energized and think about where they want to go on their artistic journey. It’s a free resource, which right now is so essential and crucial for so many.

Yvonne: When I was young, I felt weird because I wanted to go into the theater business and I didn’t know anybody who did it. I didn’t have many resources to learn more about it. Things are different now. There’s a lot of info online. I really love the community component of this series. I love the fact we’re giving these videos to people across the Capital Region who know theREP and appreciate that we are still here and still vibrant. We are part of THIS Capital Region community and you’re getting content from local people you know. It’s kind of cool.

This video series was born out of the limitations of the quarantine…Do you see this type of engagement on social media continuing even after things go back to “normal?”

Margaret: Yes, absolutely. I’ve been watching Lauren Gunderson, playwright, on her new online series of free playwriting workshops. One of the things she said was that this is a place and time for us to be visionaries. We’re adapting to deal with this, but how can we excel at it? How can we use this experience and rise as artists always do in times of difficulty, pain and human experience? Essentially, how do we take this and make the lemonade out of the lemons? Once we figure it all out, I do think new online content from theatrical artistic creatives is going to be something that stays.

Yvonne: I don’t know if we would’ve ever realized the opportunities that were there if we were just going about our regular everyday lives, business as usual. There is going to be plenty of good information that comes out of this. I loved what Margaret said, this is what creatives do in times of crisis; they find other ways to be creative. It’s historically accurate. Artists find ways to do their art as a reflection of the times that they are living in. My Master’s is in Theater History, I’m fascinated by the idea of how people entertain themselves as a reflection of the culture in any given time and place. This period will lead to a monumental change in how a lot of artists approach their work. We will go back to doing what we do best, but this will be another tool we’ll have in our toolbox now.

Any words of positivity you’d like to leave our readers with?

Margaret: Within our organization, we’ve described this period as an intermission. The idea that we’re all on a global pause is going to continue to result in some vibrant art and culture, which is both brilliant and sad when you think about the circumstance we’re in and the thousands of people who won’t be able to partake in it because they lost their lives to the virus. I also think it is going to help in relieving the feeling that theater is “elitist.” I think we might be discovering ways we can share theater more with people who can’t get through our physical doors when those doors open again, and reach people who don’t know theater even exists.

Yvonne: I want people in this area to remember that theREP is still here. We’re still working hard, we’re providing content in new and creatives way. We’ll be back. 100%. We will be back. In a fabulous new space. There are so many exciting things to look forward to.

Get in touch!

theREP:
Website: www.capitalrep.org
Facebook: @capitalrep
Instagram: @therepny

Margaret:
Email: mhall@capitalrep.org
Facebook: @margaretehalldirector

Yvonne:
Website: www.yvonneperry.com
Email: yvonneperryh@gmail.com
Facebook: @yvonneperry
Instagram: @yvonneperryh

Cap Region Road Trips: A Hudson River Drive, From Coxsackie to Catskill

April 22, 2020 By Maureen Sager

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Catskill_Escarpment_and_Hudson_River_from_North_Germantown_NY.jpg

River Views, Picnic Sites, Forest Hikes, Three Historic Towns, and Great Take-Out

Last weekend, itching to get out of the house, my kids, boyfriend and I piled into the car and ended up on a COVID-friendly afternoon of hiking and driving along the Hudson River on Route 385 in Greene County. Pack a lunch and a blanket, or grab some curbside-delivered food. We didn’t get out of the car except to hike, and never came closer than a hundred yards of another human. We all felt very safe during this springtime jaunt. FOLLOW THESE COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS FROM THE NEW YORK STATE PARKS DEPARTMENT anytime you’re visiting parks or other outdoor sites during this time.

What It Is: A picturesque 12-mile drive along Route 385, from Coxsackie to Catskill

What You’ll See: River Views, Riverfront Parks and Hikes, Forest Walks, and Three Quaint Historic Towns

Directions: Take the New York State Thruway to Exit 21B Coxsackie / Ravena. Follow US-9W S/Rte 9W S, then bear left onto Route 385 South / Mansion Street, to another left onto Reed St. Historic District (you’ll see a sign) in Coxsackie. If you miss the sign, just put “Reed Street Coxsackie” or “Reed + Mansion Store, Coxsackie” into your GPS to get you there.

Things to See and Do in Coxsackie:

Reed Street Historic District, Coxsackie, NY

Coxsackie’s Reed Street Historic District – make a slight left on Route 385 to stay on Mansion Street, and follow onto Reed Street, to see a lovely collection of Italianate buildings, as well as a great view of the Hudson River.
Coxsackie Riverfront Park, South River St. and Betke Blvd., Coxsackie. Boat launch, green space for picnics (with plenty of room for social distancing), beautiful view of the Hudson.
Four Mile Point Preserve, 169 Four-Mile Point Rd, Coxsackie. Kid-friendly walk, with longer trail options and river views. Click here for trails map.

Coxsackie Take Out / Curbside Delivery:

The Cask and Rasher, 245 Mansion Street, Coxsackie, NY 12051, 518-731-PINT (7468), 4-8pm daily.
Mansion + Reed General Store, 45 Reed Street, Coxsackie, (518) 616-9701, Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6pm. Snacks, breads and coffee items, delivered to your car.

Things to See and Do in Athens:

Athens Historic District — turn off of Route 385 onto Second Street when you enter the town of Athens, and drive through the side streets to see gorgeous, historic homes and storefronts.
Athens Riverfront Park, 4 North Water Street, Athens — Take Second Street to the river, and you’ll find a park with plenty of room for strolling, picnics (and distancing!).
Hudson Athens Lighthouse – You can see this gorgeous little lighthouse from Athens Riverfront Park.
The Willows at Brandow Point, 480 Rt. 385, Athens — Hike through wildflower fields and then down through forested land until you reach the river.
Cohotate Preserve Trail, 450 Route 385, Athens. — An easy, one-mile walk in the woods, with access to Hudson River.

Athens Take-Out / Curbside Delivery

Crossroads Brewery, 21 Second Street, Athens, 518-945-BEER (2337). Burgers and pub food – and very good beer. (Try the Black Rock Stout. It’s my favorite.)
Black Horse Farms, 10094 Route 9W, Athens, 518-943-9324. Fresh produce available for curbside pickup; click for list.

Things to See and Do in Catskill:

Downtown Catskill, Main Street, is a quintessential Hudson River town, home to the founder of the Hudson River School of painting Thomas Cole, and legendary home of Rip Van Winkle. Come back after COVID to see the fantastic shops and restaurants.
Dutchman’s Landing Park, Lower Main Street, has boat launches, plenty of room for safe picnicing, and beautiful views of the Hudson River.

Beattie Powers Place, Prospect Ave. & Bridge St., Catskill, NY 12414. An 1837 Greek Revival mansion, with sweeping views of the Hudson River and Olana.

RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary, 84 Dubois Road, Catskill. 2 miles of trails follow an old farm road past a 28-foot observation tower, then narrow as they meander through forests and skirt RamsHorn Marsh.

Catskill Take Out / Curbside Delivery:

Mermaid Café, 374 Main Street, Catskill, NY 12414, (518) 217-8811, Wednesday-Saturday 12-7pm. Tacos, ramen, and bowls. Super fresh and affordable.
Avalon Lounge, 29 Water Street, Catskill, NY 12414, 518-719-1640, Wednesday-Sunday 3-8pm. Great Korean food — try the Kimbap (Korean sushi rolls) and the Bulgogi. Actually, it’s ALL good! Cocktails to go, too.

394 Wine Bar, 394 Main Street, Catskill, 12414, (518) 947-47744. Wonderful Mediterranean selections — try their falafel platter.

Don’t miss the seafood at La Conca D’Oro

La Conca D’Oro, 440 Main Street, Catskill, 12414, (518) 943-3549. Best red-sauce Italian north of New Jersey (I don’t say that lightly!). My favorite is the zuppa de pesce. It’s delicious, and the servings are huge — you’ll eat for a week.
Wasana Thai, 336 Main Street, Catskill, 12414, (518) 943-9134. Delicious, made-to-order Thai for over 20 years.

Read More:

Pantry Emergency Meals

April 22, 2020 By wordpress

By: Deanna Fox

Writer Deanna Fox is the founder of Albany Cooking School and a food journalist with clients all around the world, as well as being a regular guest on WAMC’s “Food Friday” and WNYC-TV’s “Let’s Eat!”. We checked in on how Deanna is doing during quarantine and asked if she could give us some tips in the kitchen, because we’re just plain old running out of ideas. Want more? Check out her wonderful cooking videos — one of our favorite diversions.

The myopic focus for my professional life is on how, why and what we eat. I cook. I teach people how to do the same. I interview the people who feed us and try to distill their insights into bite-sized morsels of meaning and context. And when I’m not working, I’m still cooking and baking. What happens in the kitchen is my sole source of sustenance. And even for me, I often fail at conjuring the kitchen muse.

I have a few back-pocket meals I can create from the staples I keep in my kitchen. Below are the recipes (or rather, non-recipes) for a few of them. Use them to build from and improve upon, using whatever is available in your own kitchen to make something out of what feels like nothing. Each recipe is designed to serve at least one person, but some can be stretched for leftovers. Have your own struggle meal that becomes a go-to in your kitchen? Please share your recipe in the comments!

White Beans on Toast
Dice half of an onion to a pan with one tablespoon of butter or oil. (If you have celery and/or a carrot, dice them and add about 1/4 cup to the onion.) Add a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until the onion has just softened, then add one minced garlic clove. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add in half of a can (about 1/2 cup) of drained white beans and 1/4 cup of water or stock to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat, or until much of the liquid is cooked off and the beans are warmed through. Mash the beans and vegetables together slightly with the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over toasted bread.

Optional: Add rosemary, thyme, parsley or grated cheese to the beans towards the end of cooking.

Eggs in Purgatory

Add 1 can of crushed tomatoes to a skillet and warm over medium heat. Once the tomatoes are warm, add 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and stir to combine. Make four wells in the tomatoes and crack 1 egg into each well. Cover the skillet and cook until the eggs have reached their desired texture (completely firm, or still a little runny. Your choice). Serve warm.

Optional: Serve over toasted bread with grated cheese.

Chicken and Dumplings

If starting with raw chicken, dice about 2 cups worth of chicken breast or thighs and brown in a pot over medium heat with a pinch each of salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons of butter or oil. When the chicken is browned, remove it from the pan. To the pan over medium heat, brown one diced onion, plus about a cup of diced carrot and celery, if you have it. (You can also use about a cup of frozen mixed vegetables, if you prefer.) Add the chicken back into the pan once the onion has softened. (You can skip the browning process and just add leftover cooked or rotisserie chicken here.) Sprinkle two tablespoons of flour over the vegetables and chicken and cook for one minute. Add poultry seasoning, rosemary, thyme, parsley if you have it, about 1 teaspoon of seasoning in total. Add 3 cups of water or stock and stir to combine with the flour. Cover the pan and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes while you make the dumplings.

To make the dumplings, combine 1/2 cup of flour with 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and a punch of salt. Stir together in a bowl, then add 1 tablespoon of butter (shortening or oil can work, too) and press it into the flour mixture to make coarse crumbs. Add 1/4 cup of milk (water can work, too) and stir to make a sticky dough. Drop dollops of this dough into the chicken pot and then cover, cooking for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.

Sweet potato and bean hash

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add half of a chopped onion and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion has softened. Add 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (more or less to taste), 1 clove of minced garlic, and 1 large diced sweet potato, scrubbed clean but not peeled. Place in the oven and cook until the sweet potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add 1 can of drained and rinsed white beans. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Optional: Top with salsa or shredded cheese when serving. Add leftover chicken before placing in the oven.

Tomato and white bean soup

Heat a pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add half of a chopped onion and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion has softened. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic. Turn heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Add 1 can of crushed tomatoes, 1 can of drained and rinsed white beans, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, and 2 cups of stock. Turn heat back up to medium-high, allow the soup to come to a simmer, and then reduce the heat back to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes before serving.

Optional: Add 2 cups of chopped hardy greens to the pan while the onions cook, and top with cheese if desired.

ENJOY! Don’t forget to tag @upstatecreative in your photos to get reposted!

No Health Insurance? NYS Opens Up Enrollment Through June 15th

April 20, 2020 By wordpress

Have you lost your job, your health insurance, or some of your income due to COVID-19? You can apply for no-, low- or reduced-price insurance through New York State of Health through June 15th.

This enrollment period is usually limited to November and December, but they’ve changed their rules in response to this crisis. Apply at NYStateofHealth.com, call NY State of Health Customer Service at 1-855-355-5777, or click here to get enrollment help.