Angela Marie Morton: art & illustration

Wow, the last post of the year. I can hardly believe it. The past 12 months have flown by way too fast.  I thought a simple, cozy recipe would be an appropriate way to close out 2024, and this split pea soup fits the bill. I have been making it regularly for the past few months for my husband and myself, and it is one of our favorites, especially at this time of year. My husband is on a restrictive diet for health reasons, and he was so pleased to discover that this recently-introduced dinner option worked for him. As with many of the dinners I make, this recipe, can serve as a template for you to add or substitute ingredients as you like, or can be prepared as is. I’ll provide a few suggestions for additions at the end of the recipe. The quantities of the ingredients I use makes enough soup for us to have at least 2 nights. If there is any left over, I often add a bit of curry powder to it, and pair it with white rice as a simple dal for myself. With that, let’s get into this warm...

A few weeks ago, I was feeling disappointed and unsatisfied with everything I drew or painted. The harder I tried to create something “good”, the more unhappy I was with the result. Even sketching was frustrating. I knew I needed to do something to shake myself out of the funk I was in, besides my go-to standards of long walks and extended yoga sessions.     The first step was to acknowledge that whenever I work on an art project when I am lacking inspiration and enthusiasm, I am always disappointed in the end result, and do not enjoy the process of creating. Once I had accepted that, I knew the time had come for the second step: a break. While I live a quiet and simple life, I find taking deliberate breaks and rests difficult. I am better at it than I used to be, but it is still a challenge. For this particular break, I left the time-frame open-ended, because creativity is spontaneous and I wanted to allow for the flexibility to sketch ideas if they came to me. As it tur...

When I first proposed the idea of making vegan pancakes a couple of years ago, my husband was a bit skeptical (which is fair, as not everything I attempt ends up being a win), but these tasty cakes ended up starting a new weekly ritual for us that we deemed “Pancake Sunday”. I make pancakes, and he selects accompanying brunch music, which is usually either jazz or classical. We slow down, catch up with each other and the news, and ease into the day.  These pancakes use the minimum amount of ingredients and are super easy to prepare. The whole wheat flour, olive oil, and absence of salt or sugar make this a healthy breakfast option (as to what you use for toppings…that may be a different story). Simple Vegan Pancakes Supplies Measuring cup Measuring spoons Mixing bowl Sifter (optional) Frying pan Spatula Ingredients (Dry) 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 tablespoon baking powder (Wet) 1 cup water 2 tablespoons olive oil 1-2 teaspoons vanilla Instructions Sift flour (optional, but I do it) ...

A small section of one of my bookcases Books. Titles. Authors. Genres. Series. Hardcover. Paperback. Short stories. Novels. Memoirs. Biographies. Contemporary. Classics. Fiction, Nonfiction. It can be overwhelming to decide which book to read (or which books, if you are someone who reads more than one at a time). If you are having trouble deciding what to read next, or where to start if you are new to the world of books, you might want to consider one (or all) of these books. In an effort to keep things focused, I have limited myself to just  three  of my favorite books. Each of them, in their own way, had a profound and lasting impact on me. There have been many books (and authors) that have stayed with me for one reason or another, and I will include those in future posts, but to start, I wanted to showcase my three favorites. The Razor's Edge , by W. Somerset Maugham. Published in 1944. My beloved hardcover of 'The Razor's Edge" “He is too modest to set himself up a...

With summer at its peak, simple, quick, and cool foods are what I lean towards. As a born and raised California girl who now resides in the Pacific Northwest (which feels more and more like California with each passing year), I have always loved avocados. I know not everyone enjoys them, but if you are someone who does, this low-impact, healthy, delicious recipe is for you.  Ingredients Chickpeas (canned or, if you are like me and like to get the most bang for your buck, cook up a batch of the dried beans and keep them in the fridge to add to various recipes over the course of the week.) Avocado Bread (I used this homemade bread , but use whatever kind is your favorite. I also like this mixture on sourdough, as well as English muffins.) Spices These are all optional. There is definitely something to be said for simplicity, and I often refrain from using any spices at all in this recipe. When I do use them, it's typically a combination from the list below: Lemon juice Nutritional ye...

Bun with Dandelion Pen and watercolor pencils It is an age-old tale - the people who shout and stomp the loudest get the attention, while the quiet, reserved people often go unnoticed and underappreciated. In the age of social media, this is more evident than ever, with nearly everyone hustling and jockeying for likes, views, and followers. Some people are selling themselves, wanting to be famous for its own sake, while others use social media as a way to promote their business, cause, or point of view. It is a popularity contest on a toxic scale, with all of us pitched back into junior high.  As a culture, we are constantly being bombarded with “content,” and aggressive, yet stealthy marketing, both online and off. There is always an angle, and we are constantly put into the position of having to discern if something is legit, or a scam. It is exhausting, stressful, and defeating, especially if you are someone who is aware they are being manipulated. While I found studying this to...