There's Bytes and Bites

Summer, a Plein air sketch/markers, 2010
I had no idea I had done any preliminary sketches for
Summer, the painting I did  later in acrylics as part of a quad-tych.

I'm still slaving away trying to increase memory. Yesterday I started the chore with 17 Gigabytes free. I ended the day with 16.3. After three hours of carefully reviewing and moving and deleting and deleting everything I had sent to the recycle bin, I should have been to 20 GBs. I couldn't imagine what was going on. I e-mailed Georgia.

The Old Lady and The Beauty, photograph, 2012
 I don't dress  when I cook.
You never know what's going to happen.
Taylor, however, dresses when she eats out.

She told me to check my Window's Updates. I found I had had one the day before. They, who sneak into your computer to keep programs up to date, don't tell you how big the update is--but I knew from my work that it was .7--I learned that my battle for GBs was going to be a long ordeal --at least till Monday when I'm taking my markers and my watercolors to the beach, so byte me!

And there's more of me to bite these days. I'm going to the seashore with no calories to spend. I was not good over the holiday week.  After our Turkey Day feast, we had an excellent Filet of Beef Tenderloin on Saturday. Every Roth in this neck of the woods was here. We dined on the beef tenderloin I made for mini sandwiches and salads Ellis bought  from the gourmet market. We topped everything off with a slice of the Torte To Die For that  Georgia brought home from the corner bakery.  It was an easy dinner to make and one that pleased and plumped everyone satisfied. In case you are having the gang in and don't wish to be tied to the kitchen, happy entertaining:

MY BEEF TENDERLOIN RECIPE:

BEEF PREP:

3 pound beef tenderloin trimmed of excess fat; softened stick of butter; garlic powder; ground black pepper, (salt if you haven't given it up yet).

Tuck the thinner tail of the beef under the thicker portion of the tenderloin and bind it with trussing string--or as I did, a piece of nearly white yarn left over from a failed needlepoint project. Rub the 'roast' all over with the butter, sprinkle with garlic and pepper to your tastes. Place on vegetable sprayed broiling rack and broil 15 minute on each side to brown. Remove from oven. Let it cool a minute or two or until you can touch the broiler pan. Remove the meat from the rack. Remove the rack.  Line the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil in sheets large enough to wrap over the roast. The object is to keep in the juices, but leave an opening at the top.

SAUCE PREP:

Mr. Fuz Zy Pants, oil on gallery canvas, 2012
 went home at the end of the meal
with the lovely woman in the background, the lovely Taylor.

While you're browning the roast, mix together in a 2 cup measuring c: 1 bottle of chili sauce; one medium chopped onion; two Tblsp. of a steak sauce ( Worcestershire or Heinze 57 or A1 sauce. I used Heinz 57);
and 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) of melted butter.

When you've got the broiler pan lined with the foil, put the roast in the center; pour the sauce over it, close up the aluminum foil leaving a "chimney"for the steam.  Set the oven on Bake; set the temperature to 375 degrees, bake the tenderloin till the meat thermometer reads 140 (a lovely medium rare), about thirty minutes.

Let it rest a bit upon removal. Slice and serve with little rolls (or not, it is filet of beef after all), horseradish sauce and/or the sauce from the pan. It's great.  Reads complicated I know, but that's only because of having to slather the thing with  butter at the get go and my inexperience at writing out recipes.

This preparation works well on much less expensive cuts of beef --like rump roast.

Now, does anyone have a suggestion for a delicious bite-size finger food appetizer? I'm invited to a Christmas Party, and my meatballs were turned down:  Toothpicks not allowed; Sauce too saucy.

Four Seasons, Acrylic Quadtych, 2012
The white border,  around the paintings done on stretched gallery canvas,
is because I assembled the quadtych with my Microsoft Office Publisher Program, 600 plus MBs,
half a Gigabyte.