jury duty, so i’ll write about rosemary french toast

I’m sitting, waiting to be called in for jury duty. The room is pretty quiet, except for Flea Market Flip droning on the big screen TV at the front of the room. Some people are watching aimlessly, others reading books or skimming random stuff on their phones, at least until we have to turn them off.

chili? yes it is

The calendar says it’s spring, but I’m not buying it.

I was in my  granddaughter’s preschool class yesterday morning. It was an early birthday celebration with her classmates. This meant that she got to be line-leader, wear a crown and step outside to check on the weather.

journal of the leftover lamb

Lamb was on the menu for our Christmas dinner, and as my life seems to go, plans changed. We ended up feasting on pork enchiladas with red chile.

Let me just say, it was mighty fine. However, I still had a four and a half pound boneless leg of lamb sitting in the refrigerator that I was antsy to fix and devour.

tonight: spinach fettuccine with pan roasted kale

Well, friends, 2017 is winding down. As the season goes, I’ve wined and dined, Kahlua and creamed, fudged and brittled my way through. Don’t judge, you’ve done the same. And, truth be told, I’ve eaten pretty darn well given all the delicacies. But, what I’m really craving is salad; a plain mix of greens with a little olive oil, some balsamic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Yep, bring it on in copious amounts.

tonight: ginger-turmeric chicken & vegetable soup

It’s soup season. It’s also cold and flu season. And, well, I just want to curl up on the sofa and chill-lax season.

You all know what I’m talking about, because you’re starting to feel the stresses of the season, too!

tonight: fried egg tostadas

Come the end of the week, I’m out of food ideas and often out of ingredients. As a matter of fact, a blog I read has a section called “rent week” meals. It’s all about good, cheap eats and stretching what’s in the cupboard. I get that it’s geared toward young people who are stretching dollars when bills come due, but don’t we all have times when there’s simply not much left?

pumpkin this and that

Pumpkin this and that and everything else forges ahead. As previously, emphatically stated, I don’t do pumpkin drinks, but pumpkin in all sorts of other dishes is another story. Quite frankly, I’ve ended up with portions of leftover pumpkin. That happens when you bake muffins and the recipe only uses half of the can; hence, the need for resourceful, but fabulous ways to use up the orts.

tonight: clams with white beans and fennel

“I’m serving burrowing marine mollusks that live in the mud for dinner. What to come over?” If you received this text from me, you might politely (or not so politely laugh in my face) decline the invitation. Sounds kinda disgusting, I know.

spittin’ watermelon seeds

watermelon, feta and mint salad

I grew up spitting seeds. It was what you did while sitting on the porch with a thick, pie wedge of watermelon; a rosy stain on your face and running in streams down your arms.

My Papa grew the big oval melons with green zig-zag stripes and a creamy yellow underbelly. We’d go out to the garden – which to a little kid seemed to be the size of forever – where he’d thump, roll over and plug to uncover a perfectly ripe melon. It all seemed like some sort of alchemy to a small girl, not that I would have even known the word “alchemy” back then.

national ketchup day

National Ketchup (catsup) day was on June 5th, and I missed it! “Arg,” said the girl who loves ketchup and especially Portland Ketchup.

I first had this captivating tomato based elixir a few years ago. We (my man and I) had gone to Kennedy School McMenamins for brunch on Mother’s Day – sans our kids – where were they anyway? It was a grand afternoon sitting on their umbrella and plant inhabited courtyard.