Glenn Wessels, Friend and Mentor

I’m so pleased and glad that my film, Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage, touched so many when it recently appeared on TV. I’ve heard from so many people telling me that that their families enjoyed the movie together during the holidays. Thank you from my family for all the warm comments.

To answer many of the questions, the film does reflect my early days, including the struggles and challenges. And there really was a "Glenn" who mentored me and taught me so much. Glenn Wessels, of course, was portrayed by Peter O’Toole in the movie and it is a wonderful, timeless performance.

Glenn was a true blessing to me and I have never forgotten his teachings. I try to this day to bring them into each piece I paint. Several people have asked about Glenn's "last painting" as depicted in the movie, but I must admit that there was a bit of Hollywood tinkering done there.

You can find more about Glenn Wessels by going to the Internet. Here's one link with a short biography.

And you may remember this photo of Glenn and me at the end of the movie:
Happy New Year to All From Us and Everyone at the Thomas Kinkade Company.

Say "Hola!" to These Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros

Here is another Kinkade family recipe featured in The Thomas Kinkade Cookbook, A Journey of Culinary Memories. This one takes us south of the border. I love to make this recipe for the family, so you know that it must be pretty easy. With both of my daughters home from college for the holidays, I’ll be making this for them. These Mexican eggs have become a part of our Kinkade family brunch.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 corn tortillas
¼ cup oil
8 eggs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can black beans
1 jar favorite salsa (optional)
1 recipe Rancheros Sauce (see recipe below)
Salt
Pepper

1.) Heat a small skillet until hot. Warm the tortillas until crisp and light brown, about 1 minute per each side. Keep tortillas warm.
2.) Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet until hot. Break eggs into a measuring cup; carefully slip 4 eggs, 1 at a time, into skillet. Immediately reduce heat. Cook slowly, spooning oil onto eggs until whites are set up and the yolks begin to set. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining eggs.
3.) To serve, spread 2 tablespoons black beans and spoon 1 tablespoon of salsa and/or the Rancheros Sauce over each tortilla and top each with 1 egg. Spoon additional sauce over eggs and top with cheese. If desired, serve with salsa.

Rancheros Sauce

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
½ green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes
¼ cup chopped green chilies
8 drops red pepper sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Makes 2 Cups

1.) In a skillet over medium heat, add oil and cook onion, green bell pepper and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

Pecan Sweet Rolls

You just can't beat the plump Texas pecans that my brother Pat and his wife Laura send us each year. Whether we're all together or apart, each of us feasts on Laura's scrumptious Pecan Sweet Rolls for Christmas morning breakfast.

Serves 8-12 happy people.

1 loaf packaged bread dough

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Frosting (see below)

1.) On a lightly floured board, roll dough out to a 8 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix cinnamon, sugar, raisins and nuts. Sprinkle mixture over dough.

2.) Beginning with the 12-inch side, roll tightly in jelly-roll fashion. Cut rolled dough into 12 slices. Place slices in lightly buttered muffin pans or a 9-inch pie pan. Brush tops with melted butter. Let rise until doubled in size. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-15 minutes until light brown.

3.) Turn out pan immediately and let cool. Brush tops with any remaining butter.

Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1.) Mix ingredients together and spread on rolls.

Tomorrow Night It's Our TV Debut

Just a reminder: Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage will be aired on Lifetime Channel tomorrow at 9:00 pm and again at 11:00 pm. We're so excited to see our movie on television for the entire family to see, all together during the holiday season.

Standing Rib Roast with Yorkshire Pudding

Here's a great Christmas recipe from The Thomas Kinkade Cookbook, A Journey of Culinary Memories:

Standing Rib Roast with Yorkshire Pudding

Some of our favorite traditions began on our travels. On our first trip to England, I discovered Yorkshire pudding and our Christmases have never been the same! Each year, this hearty dish re-awakens memories of that wonderful adventure.

1 beef standing rib roast (8 lbs.)
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper

Serves 12

1.) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2.) Place roast, fat side up, in a shallow roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Insert a meat thermometer, taking care to avoid touching bone. Roast, uncovered, until meat thermometer registers 140 degrees F for medium and 170 degrees F for well done, approximately 3 ¼ hours for rare, 4 hours for medium and 4 ¾ hours well done.
3.) Remove meat from the oven and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
4.) Remove meat from pan, cover loosely with foil and reserve pan drippings; pour off ¼ cup of the pan drippings for the pudding.
5.) Divide the reserved pan drippings into two 9 x 9-inch baking pans. In a bowl beat together eggs, flour, milk, and 1 teaspoon salt until well mixed. Pour batter evenly into both pans and bake for 30 minutes. To serve, carve roast and serve with pudding and pan drippings.

And then just………enjoy!

Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage on Lifetime!

The Lifetime Channel will be showing Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage on Saturday, December 19th at 9:00 p.m. and shown again at 11:00 p.m. Check your local listings for channel and details.

I'm enthused to see a larger distribution of this film, because I think people will enjoy it and find meaning from it. It's a dream for Lifetime to show it for so many people who might have never had the opportunity.

Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage stars Peter O'Toole, Marcia Gay Harden and Jared Padalecki in a nostalgic, funny and heartwarming story that I believe will eventually be a Christmas classic for families to watch during the holidays for many years to come.

In the film, Padalecki plays me as a 20-year-old who is searching for his voice as an artist. I don't want to ruin the plot, but in the end it's all about re-discovering the true spirit of the holidays.

Critics have said that Jared Padalecki had a "break out" performance in this movie, and that Peter O'Toole delivered an Oscar-worthy performance in Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage.

The film is directed by Michael Campus and we produced it with Michael and his wife, Arla Dietz Campus and Julie Yorn. It was a pleasure to work with all of them.

Enjoy Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage, a film inspired by real events in my early days as an artist.

Buzz for the The Princess and the Frog Builds

The excitement for The Princess and the Frog, Disney's new animated feature and my image for the film is building quickly. The movie opens in two days and my painting is starting to gain national attention. Stay tuned here for the latest news.

ESSENCE magazine features "The Princess and the Frog's" Anika Noni Rose on its January cover.

"I am so honored and so proud and so excited about what this means beyond me, down the line..." --Anika Noni Rose

The Princess and the Frog Take On The Windy City

My image of Disney's new upcoming film, The Princess and the Frog, hit Chicago in a big way recently when a Disney Store in Chicago, Illinois located on the Magnificent Mile, unveiled their themed window, which included my painting of The Princess and the Frog.

It was the first opportunity to see this one-of-a-kind window display designed at the Chicago store by the talented stellar creative team. This amazing display will be launched in the windows at more than 225 Disney Store locations nationwide starting this weekend.

The Princess and the Frog canvas to celebrate this magical film and Disney's newest princess, Tiana will be an integral element in the window, representatives from Disney Store North America said.

Visit my blog for more to come on this impressive window display for The Princess and the Frog. You can see it right now at your local Disney Store. The film hits theaters on December 11th.

Here's a video of the unveiling of the first window display in Chicago!