Tipsy painting, sushi making and epiphanies... oh my!

Tipsy painting...
So background for those who don't know... I love being artsy and have been artsy all my life. As I was growing up people always thought that I would become an artist. I received the "Art" award all through grade school, blue ribbons, first prizes in competitions... all that baloney and I also took art all through high school and college and have been offered money for my work, which I have never taken. So being my rebellious artistic self, I of course didn't want to do that and decided to do other things, mostly because I didn't want to be limited or defined by just one thing. I know... very artsy.

Therefore, I have painted before but NEVER while tipsy. So going to a BYOB painting class outing was very appealing. It was also a little more fun because I was on cider. When I am on cider I am super-fun! Drinking strangers' beers/flirty/dancing in the street/giggly super-fun! (yes that all happened)

The class did turn out to be a lot of fun. It was mostly filled with couples with wine. I guess it's a popular date night kinda thing. And there I am with my friend and our six pack of cider. Ha! The class started and we were instructed to paint the sky black and blue... so of course I painted the sky purple. ☺ The painting was supposed to be a black and white painting with highlights of blue and green. Straight buildings? Nah, I like mine curved! I've never payed attention to what I am supposed to do in my Art Classes growing up (being my rebellious artistic self) and so it was funny to see how that hadn't changed. Looking back I think I probably got on all my Art instructors' nerves... I could never just draw an apple when they asked me to... it had to be a pink apple with wheels, metal accents and floating in the middle of a blue cloudy sky filled with flying squirrels in the background.

Exhibit A: Tipsy Painting

Exhibit B: Non-tipsy Painting

                       

sushi making, epiphanies... 
The day after my painting class I took a sushi making class with my mom. She is a great date. She talks to everyone and makes friends with everyone she meets and is always up for a new adventure. So while making a mess with raw fish and rice I looked up at my mom and realized that I have always been crazy and adventurous and it's because of her. She is the one who I flipped on an ATC with, she is the one who I climbed pyramids with in Mexico, she let me have a pet goat and let us hatch chickens in our house, she started most of the water fights growing up, she badgered the city council with "Title 9" (when I wanted to play on an all boys baseball team) until they let me play, she took guitar lessons with me, and has given us all countless adventures and laughs... AND she is the one who tried to feed my brother to a lion, unsuccessfully unfortunately. ☺

Our childhood summed up in a picture. My mom is so cool.

... oh my!
So this is what I was still thinking about as we were leaving the sushi class and then my mom ran head-first into the front glass door of the Ra Sushi Restaurant with a very loud "thunk." She then turned to the hostess who was looking at us trying not to laugh and said "that's how I open doors," then we left laughing so hard we could hardly walk straight. Yep, I think I'm just like her, at least I hope so.

So conclusion...

1. Tipsy painting is fun!

2. I can make sushi!

3. A friend told me recently that me doing all the things that I have decided to do doesn't surprise her because my family was always doing things like that... I guess the only difference is that now I'm writing about it.

4. My mom is crazy.

SUSHI HOW TO:

How do you make a California roll? (Well at least what I learned... in 5 steps)

1. Secret is in the rice. Get sushi rice and cook it, then add rice vinegar and sugar. (vinegar cuts the fishiness of the seaweed you'll use in your roll.

2. Get out your sushi rolling mat and cover it in Seran Wrap so that it doesn't stick and have a bowl of ice water handy.

3.  Get your seaweed strip and place it horizontally on your mat and cover it loosely with about a tennis ball sized amount of rice(wet your fingers repeatedly with the ice water so rice doesn't stick... everywhere) and sprinkle sesame seeds over rice and then finally flip it over horizontally.

4. Next is time to place your fillings. Start with a small layer of avocado on the center of your prepared seaweed, then add your crab meat on top of this(mixture of crab meat and mayo), and pieces of cucumber.

5. Roll your sushi roll from the bottom up making sure you are squeezing it evenly and that the seaweed is not visible through the rice. Even out ends and press into a nice roll shape and lastly slice with a WET knife and enjoy. Easy peasy.

WHERE WAS I?
Me the Artist
... instructors were nice but soft spoken, you had to strain to hear what they were saying. Nerves. maybe? I think next time I'll try another studio.

Ra Sushi Restaraunt
... very cool place in Tempe. Good instructors, nice servers, just an excellent experience.