under the apple tree

Unbelievable day! We are napping outside & trimming the raspberry brambles.

dispatch from the couch

first post from the phone, from the couch, from underneath the sleeping child. We could be on to something here. We are learning as we go.

my favorite bouquet

We ate these today with steamed asparagus from the market and anchovy mayonnaise to dip it all in. I haven't been cooking all that much since I've been pregnant. Mostly just big batches of granola, since now, at least according to jr., I am a breakfast eater. But I'm hoping now that the garden is swinging into gear again I'll be more inspired. I came home from work the other night and went out and picked fresh oregano and mint to make a dressing for sauteed zucchini, and ate that with arugula from the garden. Now the radishes, and I picked a whole big pile of spinach yesterday, just from thinning. I finished moving dirt into the new raised beds this weekend and got the tomatoes in.

finally

Isn't my soil lovely? Will it grow anything? Too soon to tell. We mowed the lawn for the first time yesterday, it was quite the jungle, since it rains a little every day it never seems to be a good day to pull out the push mower. But yesterday was finally the day, I mowed about a third and then conned J. into finishing for me. Today I finally broke down and ordered a hedge trimmer, electric, cordless. After 2 years, I just don't think I'm doing the hedge any favors with the hand trimming. It looks sad and awful, I feel sad about it. Time to try something else. Maybe my trimmers aren't sharp enough or maybe I'm doing it wrong, I don't know, but I give up. I have plenty of other stuff to spend the extra time on, still have to get the apple tree in shape for spring, and somehow figure out how to get the stump out of the garden, and build my new raised beds, plenty to do, plenty to do. Both of my midwives have chickens, I learned today. Do all midwives in this burgh have chickens?





Finally, finally, finally. It wasn't like it was even such a bad winter, or even that it is so incredibly spring like now, it just feels like something has changed.

four

august september october november december

part three

april may june july

part two

february march april may

old year, new year, part one

january february march april









I thought I'd rummage through a few old things, looking for something new

leftovers

We never quite got around to decorating the gingerbread men, or even baking them. We waited too long to find a good cutter, oh well, another year. We had plenty of sweets and now we have gingerbread dough in the freezer for another day.




But I think the day after strata will have to become a regular thing, all the chopped up bits of old bread, leftover vegetables and the stray bit of fruit even, the extra milk and butter steeped with garlic and thyme left over from making the mashed potatoes, bits of cheese and salami from the antipasti and a bunch of eggs, all left to mush up on the counter for the early afternoon.






I baked it at a low temperature, covered for most of the way, in a water bath, I'm not sure I've tried that before but it was a good technique, it came out consistent and tender, no grey egg or undercooked spots. Delicious dinner,  tidied up fridge, super.

aftermath

Yesterday was lovely, oceans of wrapping paper and dirty dishes and friends, near and far. I'm making a strata out of leftovers right now, maybe I'll show you later.

These are just a few from around town, sometimes I see things I would take pictures of if I were traveling, but because I see them all the time I take them for granted, I'm trying to change that.

hello from december

Recently I stopped buying the Sunday Times, didn't renew my New Yorker subscription and stopped bringing home the weekly local papers. And what a success so far! I'm reading more books, I don't come downstairs in the morning and think that I have to wade through all the paper on the counter before I get to doing whatever wants or needs to get done. There is of course a little loss and sense of loss, but much more freedom and sense of freedom.

It doesn't mean that now I have as much time as I need for everything I want to do, but I like the reminder that I get to choose.

holidays aren't really a big deal for me, but colored lights are nice, also food with friends. We almost took the year off from trees, but J. convinced me we should get one, and I'm glad we did.