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Undine Lost in the Danube by Arthur Rackham
HERALD
Somebody drive me to JoAnn and buy me some crap.
I have to admit, I’m feeling a wee bit stuck. I don’t have a creative outlet right now, other than cooking. In that department, I check on my sourdough starter every couple hours, even though I know it’s not going to be ready for bread-baking until next week at the earliest.
A few nights ago, I spent an embarrassingly long time online trying to find interesting, tasteful cross stitch patterns (to no avail, except for one etsy shop—seriously, only one was not knick-knacky).
I have it in my head that I can learn to play the hammered dulcimer well enough to play Christmas carols for a crowd and/or at weddings.
No available cross stitch supplies and certainly no dulcimer. Ingredients for tabbouleh, but no desire to sit and chop parsley.
I do not like it when Ellary comes along and scribbles on the Dora page I am coloring with her new crayons.
So here I sit complaining, not sure what to do. I guess I’ll stare at my Christmas cactus, finally blooming and becoming beautiful again. I am green with envy.
This is one of my all-time favorite paintings. One steady brush stroke, so graphic and pristine.
It’s called “Winter Road” by Georgia O’Keeffe.
(As an aside, I haven’t looked at her paintings in awhile. Man, was she naughty.)
My last semester of college, I felt like I was coming into my own as a photographer. I had completely stopped taking documentaries or portraits. I was obsessed with creating photos that mimicked painting, and I started to just “paint” on the film with water and flashes of light. I guess I could have been an artist, if I’d had the determination.
I took this photo tonight (seven years later), moody November dusk. It made me think of Turner, and I like the modern element the porch lights add. I think if I were an artist, I would want my art to be impressionistic at the very very most. It would evoke a feeling before it was comprehended, but the comprehension would enhance the experience.
The girls and I took a nature walk today and hunted for treasures. Ellary was partial to pine needles. This photo turned out like an oil painting.
I have arms for bedtime hugs. And I’m terrible at math, but I can help with homework.
(via Proverbs 30:8)
Zuni Cafe Cookbook, etc.
(photo by tvol)
I got The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers from the library to explore. I’ve heard that reading certain passages of the hefty introduction is like being in culinary school, and I’ve already learned quite a bit about seasoning, tasting and adjusting. She also recommends spending an extended amount of time with one recipe or one ingredient, so as to become well acquainted with its variations. Zuni Cafe is in San Francisco, and apparently people come from far and wide for the Roasted Chicken with Bread Salad, so I’m going to attempt to make it this week, among other things. It needs to be seasoned a ridiculous three days in advance, but I guess that’s what makes all the difference.
Lots of leftovers coming our way!
Sunday
Breakfast : Baked Oatmeal w/ Ricotta, Peaches & Honey (yum)
Lunch : Leftover Carbonara
Dinner : Oven-crisped Pork, Peppers & Greens over Quinoa w/ Turkish Almond Sauce
(photo by CraftNClutter)
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. It comes from The Splendid Table’s How To Eat Supper by Lynne Rosetto Kasper (love her!) and Sally Swift. After a bit of prep work, it comes together super fast and easy, even though it sounds complicated. The sauce is the best part, and there’s usually some left over to put over rice or couscous.
Monday
Breakfast : More baked oatmeal
Lunch : Zuni’s Sage Grilled Cheese (grilled in sage butter, sounds so good!)
Dinner : Our favorite Noodles & Co dishes for the New Life fundraiser. I usually get the Bangkok Curry and Ellary gets the Mac & Cheese.
Tuesday
Breakfast : And more.
Lunch : Leftovers
Dinner : Farro Soup (never got around to making this last week)
**Gotta season that chicken tonight.
Wednesday
Breakfast : Coconut Smoothies
Lunch : Leftovers
Dinner : Leftovers
Thursday
Breakfast : Coconut Smoothies
Lunch : Leftovers
Dinner : Leftovers
Friday
Breakfast : Cereal
Lunch : Take a guess
Dinner : Roasted Chicken w/ Bread Salad (you’re gonna want to follow this link to Smitten Kitchen to get an idea of just how good this dish looks).
Saturday
Breakfast : Cereal
Lunch : Wah wah
Dinner : Somethin or other
**This is a preserving day, so I’ll be making and freezing chicken stock from the bones, as well as some pear butter spiced with cardamom (to become gifts!).
I’m excited for this week! I just hope I don’t make us all sick on leftovers.
Time for Fall Food
For some reason, I’m all about the online challenges right now. I’m participating in the Maximize Your Mornings challenge at the Inspired to Action blog, through which I am being kept accountable to get up before my girls in the morning. I’ve also decided to participate in the Plan It, Don’t Panic challenge at Keeper of the Home, because I’ve wanted to get better at menu planning, and have completely fallen out of practice. So I’ll be posting some meal plans here for the next couple weeks. Feel free to be completely disinterested. I just find this kind of thing helps me get going when I’m in a rut.
photo by s.jillian
This week, I am making three recipes out of Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Everyday, which is probably my favorite cookbook. I won it in a giveaway in June and have since made at least fifteen of the recipes, but I’ve been waiting for cooler weather to make these three (Mon, Tues, Wed).
Sunday
No official meals, just putting up Sally Fallon’s lacto-fermented salsa.
Monday
Cauliflower Soup
Tuesday
Warm Kale Salad with Toasted Coconut and Poached Eggs
Wednesday
Farro Soup
Thursday
Leftovers
Friday
Spaghetti alla Carbonara from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook
Saturday
Leftovers
Breakfasts will be banana chocolate chip muffins (with soaked kamut and oat flours), for as long as they last.
Lunches will be whatever I can scrounge together. My goal for next week is to be a bit more prepared for this meal.
