Musings

Sorry, no oysters in this picture; they’re stashed in bellies!

Tonight we had the great fortune to be standing around a woods fire as the sky gained darkness and the cold enveloped us. What a grand time!

Posted at 10:22 PM | 5 Comments »

Have you discovered* these yet at TJ’s? They’re outstanding!

* We found these among the booty John won! the other day.

Posted at 5:43 PM | 5 Comments »

Okay, I admit it; this was yesterday when it was sunnier than today’s overcast.

As I watch the plants prepare for wintery doldrums, I can’t help but think about…plant* foods!

So, I’ve posted two new recipes for side dishes (well, postings are new; recipes are not). Celery salad—it’s heavenly, and I’m not a celery fan. And cracked wheat pilaf, which is a tasty way to enjoy those whole grains you know you should be eating….

* Oops; I erroneously typed plabt….

Posted at 4:38 PM | 1 Comment »

You didn’t know he was running, didja?

He won the $25 gift bag from TJs.* They loaded up a reusable bag with goodies—all seemed like newer products.

We now have a free way to try Israeli couscous, blackberry tea, citrus-flavored thirst quenching drink, three cheese tomato pasta sauce, a Lumpy-Dumpy bar, flakes of dried ginger, and several other products. Surely, we’ll dig into the microwave popcorn tonight!

Now that wasn’t the total excitement of our trip to TJs—read more as you “flip through” the pictures….

* You get to make an entry in the weekly drawing each time you make a purchase and have your own bags. In contrast, our local Whole Foods gives you a dime refund per bag used.

Posted at 3:21 PM | 2 Comments »

Quicken and iPhoto serve as a diary of sorts of our days, along with this blog. I see that two years ago I was freshly arrived in NM, trying to adjust to the elevation, and exploring the Gila Cliff dwellings.

It is totally unplanned that tonight’s menu includes brussels sprouts (those cute Brassica buds!), fresh not frozen, just as it did that day…. Thanks, Kel!

Posted at 2:07 PM | 1 Comment »

Today’s milestone* is white bean soup, the beginning of winter eats. Mostly I use white beans or split peas, rarely black beans or a bean mixture. I almost always add barley and wild rice, making the soup into a complete protein food. Love assortments of amino acids!

This particular version is augmented with carrots and garlic (out of onions) and seasoned with fresh sage and thyme from my herb garden, plus a few pieces of ham and a splash of worchestershire sauce.

Through the winter, we almost always have leftover soup around, which makes for easy lunches, and a lowered grocery bill.

* This milestone is related to turning on the heat, mentioned yesterday by the Marquis, as a seasonal marker.

Posted at 1:16 PM | 4 Comments »

One of today’s big projects was scavenging apples from here and there about the orchard (none of the trees had many apples that we could trust to be tasty), then converting them into applesauce. Yum!

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Gettin’ sauced!

I suppose if I browsed the snack aisle, I would have long ago noticed this version of “an old favorite” (not mine though). Instead, it was only today when I browsed the small display at the Helmer Grocery that I noticed this lovely oxymoron: Natural Cheetos. Give me a break!

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on My narrow horizons

I keep forgetting to mention that being a builder means you get lovely opportunities to expend your aggressions. Here DW separates our old sink fixture from the old sink that it had fused to. This way we can reuse it (cross your fingers).

Recipe alert: fast BBQ Tofu explained here.

Posted at 12:22 PM | 1 Comment »

Yes, I know this is dill….

On more than one occasion, I have thought that Mark Bittman has made an astute observation about food and flavors and cooking.

I don’t get this, though. He says “at a quick glance” lavender and rosemary “resemble each other”.

NOT! (says The Botanist’s daughter…)

Posted at 8:37 AM | Comments Off on Morphological similarities?