tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56207120624253399372024-03-14T01:55:00.916-07:00Taste DrivenA Search for Happiness in Food and LifeKathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-85179278234119957602011-11-07T20:25:00.000-08:002011-11-07T20:25:05.679-08:00Recap of the DayFor all of my adoring fans out there I know you have been barely surviving in the absence of my posts. So here is a quick recap of my day:<br />
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On the downside, I lost my favorite scarf without leaving the confines my cubicle.<br />
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On the upside, I did not smash a soft-boiled egg in my purse.<br />
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At meditation tonight we talked about embracing the joy of the presence. Not smashing or spilling anything in my bag is a joyful moment I will take!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-30127076799861945022011-06-22T19:20:00.000-07:002011-06-22T19:20:12.870-07:00Panzanella-my new summer comfort foodYou know it isn't going to be a good day, when it starts with metro offloading your car in the morning commute because the train is too hot, forcing everyone to cram into the next car, making you late for work. I try to count my blessings, which I have so many of and am reminded of as I pass homeless men in tatters. But sometimes you just feel knocked down.<br />
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My beloved cat Kasmir broke my heart while he had a grand adventure missing for two months in Georgia and healed it when he miraculously returned full of snuggles. Today I took him to the vet because he, who loves food as much or maybe more than I do, stopped eating. $400 later his only solid diagnosis is a fever. Feline Leukimia and Feline HIV test came back negative but the vet kept putting forward cancer as a possibility. A word, illness, prognosis I can hardly stomach. In meditation we try to open ourselves up to the fact that we all get sick, we all die, and nothing including everything we hold dear is permanent. But to have the big C or even just the possibility of it keep attacking your loved ones is very painful.<br />
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So as usual I retreat to find comfort in a phone call to my mom and food. When it is too hot to ride metro much less cook, panzanella is perfection. And when you get hit hard with unexpected vet bills it is even better. A salad invented to use old bread, it is inexpensive to make. I toasted slices of a mini whole grain loaf, brushed with olive oil and garlic. Cube the toasted bread and toss with the freshest of summer tomatoes bursting with ripeness and acidic juices. I was lucky to get a bag full for a $1 a pound at Sunday's market closing time. The vendors calling out, "it's you or the hogs." I guess the city gleaners haven't made it to Eastern Market yet.<br />
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Toss this in a bowl with herbs, basil, chives, parsley, plucked fresh from the soil and the sun; olive oil; vinegar- red wine is preferable but other kinds from rice wine to balsamic seem to work just fine; salt and capers or crushed anchovies if you have them. And just like that supper is done, summer flavors bursting with brightness rounded out by the comfort of toasted bread commingling into something that is the opposite of the soggy mess you might think it would become. <br />
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Freeing you up to tend to summer evening pleasures or coaxing kitty to please eat a bite of kitty food.Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-8958769437439806942011-06-19T17:47:00.001-07:002011-06-19T17:47:52.157-07:00Reasons I love DC # 2 My morning commute<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">My morning commute: Coffee and paper in hand I am greeted with smiles and “Have a nice Day” by metro workers and the people who hand out the free Express paper. The office workers like me provide a fashion show of style choices. There are women in sparkling saris, girls in expensive dresses and flip-flops, colorful hijab. There are babies laughing, babies crying, people getting in that last snooze button rest, lost tourists counting the number of stops again and again searching for the Smithsonian exit staring in wonderment and clogging the escalators. There are chefs and Hill staffers, security guards, baby mamas with hair styles like art braids twisted into an array of sculpture. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I exit up out of the tunnel into the bright day and am pushed forward by the energy of the pulse of the city. People in cars and honking taxis, buses offloading commuters from other states, cyclists speeding by and homeless people waking up a with a stretch that reminds me to let go of my pre-coffee grumpiness. I pause in admiration at the girls who can bike among traffic in skirts and heels, a talent I have not yet mastered. </div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-39564528108185671772011-06-14T20:38:00.000-07:002011-06-14T20:38:26.922-07:00Tonight I dined on beet green risotto with bacon<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">Tonight I dined on beet green risotto with bacon, not a traditional risotto that I am aware, but an honorable way to use the last of spring’s produce as the lettuce bolts from the rising temperatures. A day that begins with news of a women shouting that the metro train of morning commuters is going to blow-up, the transit system I take to and from work; a day filled with answering the same questions on how to fill out government forms, and disgruntled emails and phone calls; a day with the news that private funds which could have saved the program that employs me, saves our shared history and unique character of American towns, creates jobs and local pride was turned down..or at least that’s the rumor. <span> </span>A day in which, I mistakenly picked up a paper for the ride home with incoherent articles slamming environmental protection for killing jobs. <span> </span>And while I was greeted by the greatest cat in the world I was also greeted with continued atrocities in Sudan, cholera outbreaks, mudslides, wildfires, our own local political corruption on the evening news. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This day needs crispy bacon, and rice cooked so slowly that it submits to the creaminess that is its destiny, coaxed out with a touch of vermouth and butter, enriched with freshly grated cheese and home grown beets, sprinkled with just a touch of basil plucked in the twilight just for the sole purpose of ending this day.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It may not solve the world’s problems but it does make facing tomorrow easier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvfjf1h42pfDjnXv8I3Hh5yIAgNOeW2gyCTfhRvY26xH51HFAo8zvblPqgcLsFwSqZadBmuS_C5a2EtLljrXqWWUyiglmuQTt0fExIvz26GzAm5IrjkMmKdIkr8RH8g0SfdBeIrVDSOM/s1600/CIMG0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvfjf1h42pfDjnXv8I3Hh5yIAgNOeW2gyCTfhRvY26xH51HFAo8zvblPqgcLsFwSqZadBmuS_C5a2EtLljrXqWWUyiglmuQTt0fExIvz26GzAm5IrjkMmKdIkr8RH8g0SfdBeIrVDSOM/s320/CIMG0743.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-68334874764566442112011-05-17T19:25:00.000-07:002011-05-17T19:25:26.569-07:00Reasons Why I love DCReason 1.<br />
<br />
Because my walk home after yoga loks like this:<br />
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And I can pour my soul into the heady essence of roses and peonies while the wind whispers its secrets to the trees.Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-82198266963182054982011-05-11T20:19:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:35:29.775-07:00Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>On a recent Saturday morning, I was lying in bed thinking about French toast, thinking that the only bread I likely had was a few slices of multi-grain packaged bread. This type of bread is fine for the occasional piece of toast or a quick, cheap lunch of peanut butter and jelly but it wasn’t really living up to my morning dream of rich, satisfying French toast. I don’t eat a lot of bread as it’s been stigmatized as a bad carb. I’ll never give up pasta and still favor white rice over brown, especially aromatic grains like jasmine or basmati, but I can pass on bread. I was raised eating white bread before it was deemed the “most evil” of all. I still think it makes the best pimento cheese sandwiches.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French toast cooking</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French toast with marmalade</td></tr>
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I suddenly remembered the three loaves of bread I just brought home from a bread making demonstration: gorgeous artisanal ciabatta, a baguette, and an asiago boule. The class held in the Pyramid Atlantic art space in Silver Spring was excellent. The class was scheduled for 6:30; it was a quick walk from the metro so I could still get there after leaving work downtown at six. Seated right in the gallery with eye-catching art hanging all around the creative energy was palatable. We faced tables piled high with different types of bread.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;">Our instructor Rod Teel of Crest Hill Bakery, lead us through a thorough yet fast-paced lesson in the proper technique of making good artisanal bread. He comforted us all with reassurances that learning to make really good bread is a slow process that requires practice, so if you don’t get it right the first time, just keep trying. The ultimate in Slow Food, he starts at least the day before so that the poolish has adequate time to rest. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baker Teel</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-ferment#History">Poolish</a> is made from equal parts flour, water, and a little yeast. The recipe from the class calls for 8 oz of water, 8 oz of flour, and 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast. As with all baking it is better to weigh the dry ingredients than measure them. Cover and rest for 12 to 24 hours.<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;">I discovered my own bread making struggles come from two sources. One is insisting on trying to use temperamental traditional yeast when invariably my water is a degree too hot or too cold for the yeast to bloom. Two is what I think most people struggle with, and that is a tendency to over work the dough. We have these images of a short, barrel shaped granny in a flowered apron working out her domestic aggression in kneading the dough. This could not be more wrong. You must be gentle with the dough, fold it like tucking in a baby for a nap.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you are waiting on dough, it is important to have lots of snacks.</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;">When you are ready to make the dough, loose the polish from the bowl by pouring water around the edge of the bowl, about 1 cup. Add a pound of flour, 2 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon instant yeast. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;">Cover and let it ferment for 45 minutes. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;">Turn the dough by folding it into thirds, rotate 90° and fold into thirds again. This is when it is helpful to see a professional baker in action. Preheat the oven to 475° with a baking stone inside. He recommends including a cast iron skillet filled with lava rocks on a lower rack. This gives you a mechanism to create the stem needed to form a perfect crust encasing soft airy pleasure on the inside.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;">Cover and let ferment for 45 minutes again. If the dough was mixed by hand, “turn” the dough again and let it rest for another 45 minutes. Divide the dough into the shapes you desire. Bench resting in between each action. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;">Slide bread directly onto oven stone. Pour a cup of boiling water into the skillet with utmost CARE!! Steam burns occur quickly and are very nasty. Use oven mitts and hold your face back. Adjust oven temperature to 425°F. Close the oven door and don’t open it for at least 10 minutes. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;">Bread is done when the desired color is achieved, and internal temperature is 205°F.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;">So now through the generosity of Baker Teel, I am enjoying proper French toast for breakfast and I will pack sandwiches of jamon, the first freshly picked lettuces from the back, and a thin spread of grain mustard and tomato mayo to take to the azalea gardens. I will not begrudge one bite of these wonderful carbs just as I will always appreciate a good pimento cheese sandwich on white bread.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 0in;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxhhCBq_Aid6p343A3ZHESEUADXPl82Bmf1Y5Fn5Tas2P9w2MXq9G2YJDuodaZUERtl_hZxAPTYoZV6s1zk-ckt1W7DvyxPZpSGLpcWuo1_mNeCtuTHttXEXW4h0HvFAy-X7eEHtPBkw/s1600/jamon+sandwiches.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxhhCBq_Aid6p343A3ZHESEUADXPl82Bmf1Y5Fn5Tas2P9w2MXq9G2YJDuodaZUERtl_hZxAPTYoZV6s1zk-ckt1W7DvyxPZpSGLpcWuo1_mNeCtuTHttXEXW4h0HvFAy-X7eEHtPBkw/s200/jamon+sandwiches.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamon sandwiches in the making</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5D0NPBEX-xxOfTTxcZom6QaJJsBVM1nQcgqaWf7Upb3vm6tkxYNzfWnzGE9If88Zt-SuSfSwNZzDk9rQO6x2qlHAGeNSCj-4da1QK1pq_m6NQWtKjgEiLNOzx1Q0IE0d5h4F5L0F-_A0/s1600/CIMG0601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5D0NPBEX-xxOfTTxcZom6QaJJsBVM1nQcgqaWf7Upb3vm6tkxYNzfWnzGE9If88Zt-SuSfSwNZzDk9rQO6x2qlHAGeNSCj-4da1QK1pq_m6NQWtKjgEiLNOzx1Q0IE0d5h4F5L0F-_A0/s200/CIMG0601.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homegrown lettuces<br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHoZFpbl2NsXUrUbWUt2t1P5KCxlb57q-CfpcIVhxUGTJs8v561RLsz_nqYRraYK1465m3Snv30AouJLYy1ei-nkbd-ZG-T9KYcQyzoZi9E5NTHmQuOEREeI-kBfa_Q4F7z3P-eB4WwQ/s1600/arboreteum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHoZFpbl2NsXUrUbWUt2t1P5KCxlb57q-CfpcIVhxUGTJs8v561RLsz_nqYRraYK1465m3Snv30AouJLYy1ei-nkbd-ZG-T9KYcQyzoZi9E5NTHmQuOEREeI-kBfa_Q4F7z3P-eB4WwQ/s320/arboreteum.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5suDYoyg1h6rhNKUfQDWk_XqkiBXIyQRQpmRHkvLB_pHnECLTmIURci_DS29ooGDO4ZfMFQ-VFHypwsFWQBnZ_Ey4icSIIZqRrlOMZi2mrARRGcUYF5ARnD4x7kzW10UYz71A9L69LVA/s1600/azalea1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5suDYoyg1h6rhNKUfQDWk_XqkiBXIyQRQpmRHkvLB_pHnECLTmIURci_DS29ooGDO4ZfMFQ-VFHypwsFWQBnZ_Ey4icSIIZqRrlOMZi2mrARRGcUYF5ARnD4x7kzW10UYz71A9L69LVA/s320/azalea1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZ6jH95WjnrolUofhpL1pddMaW1AJf5_uSeewgO3GIEHxvqpsuuyUVmteiBY0XQDa3lajw6IdIUjVoQMkagsaK-tLzamYVP0kr9dsHOzs0DkLpp1OpiPDc3cNyddkQYdSc3h2yRvbPr0/s1600/azalea2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZ6jH95WjnrolUofhpL1pddMaW1AJf5_uSeewgO3GIEHxvqpsuuyUVmteiBY0XQDa3lajw6IdIUjVoQMkagsaK-tLzamYVP0kr9dsHOzs0DkLpp1OpiPDc3cNyddkQYdSc3h2yRvbPr0/s320/azalea2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-66884041128342187082011-05-10T19:40:00.000-07:002011-05-10T19:59:42.621-07:00A bit of adviceIf you decide to make strawberry orange muffins because you have had a bad day, it is a good idea to wait until you finish roasting garlic and eggplant. The aromas just don't mix well and the garlic will possibly seep into your muffins. If I am going to have a bad day I like to go full on....<br />
Scratch that the muffins are just fine and the melted buttery flavor of strawberries baked inside a golden crust muffin does help ease the stress of jury duty.Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-18893711727147052412011-04-12T20:49:00.000-07:002011-04-12T20:50:30.898-07:00Paella: The joys of peasant food.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>So many wonderful dishes from around the world are not from fancy high end restaurants but are the food of the people. Simple ingredients of good quality blended together with care and attention produce bright fresh flavours through time and heat meld into deeper complex flavours.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcWKjQfSHxgvGg57wLFyfINoWSvc9ist1juSJTO2h3yBArhJMpO9vip12b-1nFsBhyC9F6OvjbITKX-M529xMbPRehXbfiqFiOxQtyNqcdgpof7GQBgAVHAgsptMLVQhPlV1Ko1D8Ets/s1600/CIMG0526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcWKjQfSHxgvGg57wLFyfINoWSvc9ist1juSJTO2h3yBArhJMpO9vip12b-1nFsBhyC9F6OvjbITKX-M529xMbPRehXbfiqFiOxQtyNqcdgpof7GQBgAVHAgsptMLVQhPlV1Ko1D8Ets/s320/CIMG0526.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Paella is a regional Spanish rice dish, similar to a pilaf cooked over an open fire, saffron. Coastal areas would of course add seafood; inland chicken and sausage would provide the protein. A very traditional version uses rabbit and snails. These two ingredients are likely to be found only in higher-end restaurants in America but in other parts of the world have been savored by villagers for centuries.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqDHwJImBIGqMjZyVxckCHgBcbl4aaMNAUxKgPGddIIUbM3C856tsiP49QNS0UZfbR_mmkhbvZr9p0NVjI8hpX65Pi3zK9gJUbwJ5ZCwkr6Qi3X-doaQeOEC_4pczpCfQxHlhyphenhyphenOdXX88/s1600/CIMG0521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqDHwJImBIGqMjZyVxckCHgBcbl4aaMNAUxKgPGddIIUbM3C856tsiP49QNS0UZfbR_mmkhbvZr9p0NVjI8hpX65Pi3zK9gJUbwJ5ZCwkr6Qi3X-doaQeOEC_4pczpCfQxHlhyphenhyphenOdXX88/s320/CIMG0521.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">monkfish</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This particular evening my friend Patrick invited a small group over for Sunday supper, paella with mussels and monkfish. Monkfish also known as poor man’s lobster is a wonderful inexpensive fish. Whole it is very ugly with a face that would scare babies but skinned and filleted it cuts into delicious, buttery, sweet chunks of flesh that holds up well in this kind of cooking. The mussels like all shell fish bring a taste of the sea with a salty brine from the juices but sweet meat.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqgzZd83oHGZZtwIeyZkMEJWe9F0av4B9IW_Ns8Qik1UKV27Np_28Ll9DtSBXm5ZIY0Or6Dls3ouv-4wWrwZRceIbSsi5Q72LdawDSEYA6Bt6HmkvjJfq_geakq1XxOku-XfuV01IpE0/s1600/sofrito.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqgzZd83oHGZZtwIeyZkMEJWe9F0av4B9IW_Ns8Qik1UKV27Np_28Ll9DtSBXm5ZIY0Or6Dls3ouv-4wWrwZRceIbSsi5Q72LdawDSEYA6Bt6HmkvjJfq_geakq1XxOku-XfuV01IpE0/s200/sofrito.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sofrito</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The base of paella is sofrito and rice. Sofrito is finely diced onion, bell pepper, and garlic mixture sautéed in a little oil until melded. This flavor profile reminds us of the Spanish influence in Cajun cooking. The rice must be short grain to absorb the liquid and give the plump texture desired. The best rice to use for this is calaspara. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXWwjm3qiAOnqvF8UPeymqXGI2CH_RmPw357vUbNQwudQFJ4NF7yjBOyw6Sy-fWDJRpFPLzotjbC0EYKnLhUEgNEDYFr0DgZFlM88XS2bzHGy0yQL6gFFgOXYjMdXp8pmPV2hFOcX5Nw/s1600/rice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXWwjm3qiAOnqvF8UPeymqXGI2CH_RmPw357vUbNQwudQFJ4NF7yjBOyw6Sy-fWDJRpFPLzotjbC0EYKnLhUEgNEDYFr0DgZFlM88XS2bzHGy0yQL6gFFgOXYjMdXp8pmPV2hFOcX5Nw/s320/rice.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">A good broth is equally important to bring out the richness but this is the case with so many foods. Start with a good base, boiled down from the things so many people take for granted and discard: shrimp shells, vegetable scraps, meat bones, whatever is appropriate for the end result.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The broth is added all at once, perhaps after a splash of wine. And then you wait for the right balance of absorption for the rice to soften and plump. Paella is cooked in a low-sided and a broad pan to distribute the heat evenly, encouraging a crunchy soccorat crust, outside over a fire. Trying to get the heat source just right can be tricky and we used a combination of stove top to get things started with the sofrito before moving out side to sit in the lilac scented air.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSpzOthXpd3Zcok8bcvDA90Q4zNHwvdAYczO60TFsgLrD072BOByfCVTQrrtmjASjusPfJ04q-kY7G0Jy99wtlGMW3FsX6IePwkQIBvGV8O4qdsEZCrlN8XQ-1HW5_HU4SNidOYWwLsc/s1600/broth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSpzOthXpd3Zcok8bcvDA90Q4zNHwvdAYczO60TFsgLrD072BOByfCVTQrrtmjASjusPfJ04q-kY7G0Jy99wtlGMW3FsX6IePwkQIBvGV8O4qdsEZCrlN8XQ-1HW5_HU4SNidOYWwLsc/s200/broth.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Broth</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDZa_aHwIG1fOGQclCrDLhOMdAqP08skl-pejpG5Wnb0JBVtgltj_K09kPpP4_MJclhKLWLnK-FdRi8Q2uWi7IPpjBS-XPqzv4bQUQmQmeZrsZBxGDp4foJ8_qDiBkxzbRCqUyvG6YAY/s1600/saffron.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDZa_aHwIG1fOGQclCrDLhOMdAqP08skl-pejpG5Wnb0JBVtgltj_K09kPpP4_MJclhKLWLnK-FdRi8Q2uWi7IPpjBS-XPqzv4bQUQmQmeZrsZBxGDp4foJ8_qDiBkxzbRCqUyvG6YAY/s200/saffron.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Spanish Smoked Paprika</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBCur6xE3JZ_b0GU6vHCEKu5AnlB-y1FSldRcN-4z6eJsUHeNo2LSqx-rSqg5GdaBztwj0qi3udnq5r7lV0qD8jfutBmv0WhT41Re1iMKWmyNDzouh5v_YhIIiHCwLqqmiHaioI3X8h8/s1600/paella+cooking.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBCur6xE3JZ_b0GU6vHCEKu5AnlB-y1FSldRcN-4z6eJsUHeNo2LSqx-rSqg5GdaBztwj0qi3udnq5r7lV0qD8jfutBmv0WhT41Re1iMKWmyNDzouh5v_YhIIiHCwLqqmiHaioI3X8h8/s320/paella+cooking.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add seafood close to the end of cooking</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Deepened with pinches of saffron and smoked paprika the two essential indulgences of the dish, fennel, salt and pepper. Green peas and roasted red pepper bring a bright freshness to round out the meal. We sat around the pan eating communally, happily lit by candlelight and conversation. This instance of paella party did not result in the desired crispy bits on the bottom but personally I am happy to eat as much paella as it takes to get it just right. </div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WU3p3jDGnf1GaFcnKSKdqX7_ZGKjWJtSrAK5GUGuevWvKQkIICZeQjlDCrEXRFwo0Kj6RVkFhyphenhyphenehQ1ukPlpdGr9bjYL_Xp_Z5EFNOGvXwhBvr72LmdkXc0IEdcLLg2AwwU-Wf1Z7Guc/s1600/paella.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WU3p3jDGnf1GaFcnKSKdqX7_ZGKjWJtSrAK5GUGuevWvKQkIICZeQjlDCrEXRFwo0Kj6RVkFhyphenhyphenehQ1ukPlpdGr9bjYL_Xp_Z5EFNOGvXwhBvr72LmdkXc0IEdcLLg2AwwU-Wf1Z7Guc/s320/paella.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-81120712411423569242011-04-11T08:10:00.000-07:002011-04-11T08:10:36.556-07:00Time<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">A quarter of the year has already passed. The crab-apple tree outside my window is in full bloom with beautiful bursting pink blossoms serves as a reminder of fleeting time. The petals will fall like snow as the season shifts from spring to summer.<span> </span>My resolution to try something new each month has progressed from starting a blog in January, fixing a lamp in February, March I took two new trips: the bus to New York and then my first Amtrak experience to Raleigh. <span> </span>The trips are their own posts waiting to be written. April is still open, although only a few weeks remain. Any suggestions?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjHcuvg6sSpDMNawZ9kogniybHWsyo6x1YqkZ4yrUR1By-2wEOmfdsmA6RHLg7Ay5oQQTZyU1jAevuLETMI62cYamiJSycsybiVBKCDsUB344tItHOnhZmI7yQlkTUeaczUNSf1LU1TU/s1600/city+wildlife.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjHcuvg6sSpDMNawZ9kogniybHWsyo6x1YqkZ4yrUR1By-2wEOmfdsmA6RHLg7Ay5oQQTZyU1jAevuLETMI62cYamiJSycsybiVBKCDsUB344tItHOnhZmI7yQlkTUeaczUNSf1LU1TU/s320/city+wildlife.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City Wildlife</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> One of the challenges of trying new things is that unless it is a one-time experience like visiting New York, on-going projects become one more item to juggle<span> </span><span> </span>in a limited amount of time. But it is a good exercise for me to try and stick with it even if I don’t write as frequently as I had set out to do. It forces me to let go (a little) of delaying until it is just right.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Meditation, walks, leisurely meals with friends, Saturday afternoon naps with Kasmir help keep me in the present. <span> </span>I suppose we are all seeking a balance, searching for ways to be appreciative of the moment so as to not be carried away with anxiety for the future.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBzW4apuzahqMr_57PBfYPCUJHm4r73LGF2nErW40T9yNVTfMq8V426ZHntYsmOyb2bnNdL84Ma-wY7osYvCll3Mjj9wCEmwaVthFQnX3un9NKI6Upmr7DK9ebHElp5rMOlh2s0PUywY/s1600/Kasmir.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBzW4apuzahqMr_57PBfYPCUJHm4r73LGF2nErW40T9yNVTfMq8V426ZHntYsmOyb2bnNdL84Ma-wY7osYvCll3Mjj9wCEmwaVthFQnX3un9NKI6Upmr7DK9ebHElp5rMOlh2s0PUywY/s320/Kasmir.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-61162179046028788332011-03-31T21:09:00.000-07:002011-03-31T21:09:22.823-07:00CrepesMy intention for this blog was never a "how to" or a compilation of recipes. However, a family visit and an old pear led to the creation of this crepe video. This one is for you Aunt Joan. Plus I got to try out the video feature on my new camera, which by the way isn't easy to use and cook at the same time by yourself.<br />
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Standard crepe batter recipes can be found in a variety of places so I won't repeat one here. Most tell you to let the batter sit before cooking. it keeps in the fridge for several days. If it separates just stir it back together.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>At a recent family visit we were discussing how to make crepes. The way I was taught is that you want a lightly greased pan, i.e. I only butter it for the first crepe (which usually isn't the best one) and that's enough to get you through a batch. It is also really important to swirl the pan, so you get good coverage, and pour out the excess batter so that you get the desired thinness of a crepe. You can tell when it is time to flip, similar to pancakes, when the edges are just lightly brown or beginning to cook. It is easier to show, hence the video, although I haven't quite mastered flipping one-handed. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0QhpBBWygq0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Perhaps I will learn to edit the video next time...<br />
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A pear that had been hanging around a little too long was calling out to me to be sauteed in butter, so on a recent Saturday morning I made crepes. Cooking crepes can be done so quickly they should definitely be made more often. As I slid the buttery browned pears, their over-ripeness only adding to the carmelization, into the crepes a second wave of inspiration struck. I am such a lucky girl to have beautiful homemade marmalade waiting in my cupboard. Thanks Rich! Adding a spread of of this amber deliciousness brought just the right balance of tartness to the sweetness of the pear and a little bit of texture. I guess if everyday started this way it wouldn't be appreciated as much, at least that's what I am telling myself. Plus I get to feel good about using up an old pear.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIx7uB5FwvDixUsGaD7VZyCYQsO-b3W3kslcHpED6ANbeSXOxyu2Vg8XgLucfpyqhCWCzpQUoeikherGx6vSVemIfNXt6hcCsnihWDxJH7LnmcfeEPAu-OIlPeKgIQ7Y6EiOw-CIkg-Cc/s1600/CIMG0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIx7uB5FwvDixUsGaD7VZyCYQsO-b3W3kslcHpED6ANbeSXOxyu2Vg8XgLucfpyqhCWCzpQUoeikherGx6vSVemIfNXt6hcCsnihWDxJH7LnmcfeEPAu-OIlPeKgIQ7Y6EiOw-CIkg-Cc/s320/CIMG0493.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-27623408760356052372011-03-28T10:09:00.000-07:002011-03-28T10:10:31.694-07:00Lessons from dogsitting1. Kasmir is too scared of dogs to come out from under the bed to remind me how hungry he is at 5am.*<br />
2. If you get up and out early and enough on a Saturday you might just see people finishing a marathon.<br />
3. naps and treats are to be enjoyed by everyone<br />
4. It is easier to fit in at the dog park if you actually have a dog<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WrhcDsfGa5l1dV0rjTSQ735buIe4azqllVBk1d7C_IEAist7vvwRAWqZMkGQ9C7nKD6kLqA4eDuy_t4vxdvvtP20CSv04UzbJDS_Uw5-OS9pdAQRd06liQZwVVzQGn_9OEguiKJuKwc/s1600/Fozzie+makes+new++friends.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WrhcDsfGa5l1dV0rjTSQ735buIe4azqllVBk1d7C_IEAist7vvwRAWqZMkGQ9C7nKD6kLqA4eDuy_t4vxdvvtP20CSv04UzbJDS_Uw5-OS9pdAQRd06liQZwVVzQGn_9OEguiKJuKwc/s320/Fozzie+makes+new++friends.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fozzie makes new friends</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
5. A great thing about living in DC is that you don't have to fight the hoards of tourists to see beautiful cherry blossoms, just go for a walk with a companion that must sniff every spot a dog before him has marked.<br />
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6. It takes good timing if you must first intently smell the lamp post and then sit before crossing the street and make the cross walk light.<br />
7. Even though every pet I have ever had, has been untrained and spoiled perhaps I do have the discipline it takes if I can make Fozzie sit every time before crossing the street.<br />
8. Homemade broth heartens the appetite homesick dogs and people alike. <br />
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*At least for one night.<br />
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Another reason to love Lincoln Park in the spring is that you never know what you will see including a girl in braids and a skirt playing catch with her dad, a man simultaneously rollerblading and smoking a cigar, kids hiding in a tree just like I did. Although pretending you are a spy in a tree I imagine is much easier to do in a city park than in a suburban neighborhood with no one else around to spy on.<br />
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If spring has sprung, can someone please remind March it's supposed to exit like a lamb? In my mind that does not mean more snow. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zzxCpPq0u15pJdiigC1RPjVWS4UXdXW1QLG9o9hYmhVEkJ6OGmRrsz0ku1tQmr0ILzrGYGF3Q2MY3aIigw8Ny-iei8e_xNF6206yzG7X4_gcMjxOvuiOtMGDKW_um3XIQsIR6MlMCZ8/s1600/IMG_0567.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zzxCpPq0u15pJdiigC1RPjVWS4UXdXW1QLG9o9hYmhVEkJ6OGmRrsz0ku1tQmr0ILzrGYGF3Q2MY3aIigw8Ny-iei8e_xNF6206yzG7X4_gcMjxOvuiOtMGDKW_um3XIQsIR6MlMCZ8/s200/IMG_0567.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
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</a></div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-10752972927462531802011-03-06T19:49:00.000-08:002011-03-06T19:50:32.533-08:00A Perfect Day<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhse2J9azYFdZReWpIpgFn-YecyRLEbAS7KpBPiL49JFlzUnwV8Av-N_HLgm8igL8MRFMazzvQMy0QL_UjE9Qn7VorPUOzvKAOQvbri1r79XYWWtAFU57ANsywcFlA87nqKNlssSFV5uDE/s1600/cafe+au+lait.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhse2J9azYFdZReWpIpgFn-YecyRLEbAS7KpBPiL49JFlzUnwV8Av-N_HLgm8igL8MRFMazzvQMy0QL_UjE9Qn7VorPUOzvKAOQvbri1r79XYWWtAFU57ANsywcFlA87nqKNlssSFV5uDE/s200/cafe+au+lait.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cafe au lait</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYUnYuVDXgUWkFNS_e9uB73o2h5YIJcJmy7xoHEXnaWYdtUQxeDHJiguMEYiSPWjuSjwlOsQccCnYELZQ8wAqecOPFdf3Cw6rsGlXt3rLhTFSh7T4zS-lrLS_ZFaaIG8IeHToVN46oLI/s1600/tuna+melt+tartine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYUnYuVDXgUWkFNS_e9uB73o2h5YIJcJmy7xoHEXnaWYdtUQxeDHJiguMEYiSPWjuSjwlOsQccCnYELZQ8wAqecOPFdf3Cw6rsGlXt3rLhTFSh7T4zS-lrLS_ZFaaIG8IeHToVN46oLI/s200/tuna+melt+tartine.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tuna melt tartine</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">With the first hints of spring, I pulled out my bike and spent this Saturday having a perfect day. I treated myself to brunch out. One of my attempts at being frugal means brining my cup of coffee with me to work every day so lingering over a café au lait is a special treat. Next I toodled around <a href="http://www.easternmarket-dc.org/">Eastern Market </a>equally enjoying browsing the fresh produce, art, and people watching. This is when the perfect day really starts to kick in. As I select ingredients ideas for dinner start to swirl n my head. Inside I buy some andouille sausage. Oranges are bought to make freshly squeezed juice to linger with over the Sunday paper. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I shop in style thanks to my Aunt B!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEe8sEq3MFYSatxWooqcPYp3Knc21yCDLG0VnxhuP5ZJSdVLEs3EO5SEgbCKdI-kih4dye3gFEMYOPUsxmcU69AghfX9qV40nyxqb_6X4buNybEFhXyyrkewLXgKvw9Abkjb3fxumBQE/s1600/CIMG0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEe8sEq3MFYSatxWooqcPYp3Knc21yCDLG0VnxhuP5ZJSdVLEs3EO5SEgbCKdI-kih4dye3gFEMYOPUsxmcU69AghfX9qV40nyxqb_6X4buNybEFhXyyrkewLXgKvw9Abkjb3fxumBQE/s200/CIMG0318.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to my parents I can now carry a<br />
lot more than a pork butt on my bike!</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjkxLYhpJVllb92U_vNQgYHzBqypdopbLRuP7oDlFbhfR5LRf6a3FkIYO47h6GsZWqIA0lpzifmekDOHnH7CEDOpeZ36tlnuYXwREIthY8qKp-OMiJNxU19VViuBqd1wfmxSf_yVuV3k/s1600/Duro+wine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjkxLYhpJVllb92U_vNQgYHzBqypdopbLRuP7oDlFbhfR5LRf6a3FkIYO47h6GsZWqIA0lpzifmekDOHnH7CEDOpeZ36tlnuYXwREIthY8qKp-OMiJNxU19VViuBqd1wfmxSf_yVuV3k/s320/Duro+wine.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Every Saturday <a href="http://www.chatsliquors.com/">Chat’s</a> has a free wine tasting. This was why I first started shopping there but I continue to go back because Bernie the owner always has time for a chat, answers my questions with enthusiasms and interest even though my price point stays in the $8-$15 range. He has intimate knowledge of every bottle in his store and the most radiant smile that draws you in making you feel a part of the community. I picked up a Portuguese red blend because the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cork Boat</i> is one of my favorite books and I have had Portuguese white wine but hadn’t yet tried a red.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguW1MvhqE0B-9M_UoDDzlNIm1f9uISFSBp-m9k2YZkcti9M4AtXGMAuSOpiYFbbFjHjxAWqEEvakZrtCD8UCEqw5ZCCjEGF3Vpa9nnOIEIKYDXNuBm85bpSzP93Aq2OfpOhKqWEdlBv3Y/s1600/produce.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguW1MvhqE0B-9M_UoDDzlNIm1f9uISFSBp-m9k2YZkcti9M4AtXGMAuSOpiYFbbFjHjxAWqEEvakZrtCD8UCEqw5ZCCjEGF3Vpa9nnOIEIKYDXNuBm85bpSzP93Aq2OfpOhKqWEdlBv3Y/s200/produce.JPG" width="200" /></a>In my mind I was imagining a twist on a Spanish tortilla. I love the simplicity of eggs and potatoes but this is not a recipe I have mastered so every once in a while I give it another go. I sautéed the potatoes in a little olive oil with some sliver of garlic tossed in. When the potatoes were almost cooked through with a lovely browning, I added some asparagus and a spring onion, and pat of butter just to give it extra richness. I set this mixture aside and cooked some of the andouille. I tossed the potato mixture with a couple of beaten eggs. All of this was added back into the pan with the sausage and cooked over very low heat. The result was nothing like a Spanish tortilla. Too much stuff and not enough egg, but it still tasted really good. I grated a little pecorino on top and just because they had been so beautiful at the market I sautéed a few shitake mushrooms in butter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaT-yjoaTd8GpTHiZXw9B2SM3aMkPL4L38lLQCyJaIeuDQEP9rm9mQ4BcCQZY42hM-bUElR10LPmZsSyO0O5H8QxffHqJucs-yov7-wjy7MH1LpBVjKj-eIjugjSxbfYZzeFd0XuMScM/s1600/in+the+frying+pan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaT-yjoaTd8GpTHiZXw9B2SM3aMkPL4L38lLQCyJaIeuDQEP9rm9mQ4BcCQZY42hM-bUElR10LPmZsSyO0O5H8QxffHqJucs-yov7-wjy7MH1LpBVjKj-eIjugjSxbfYZzeFd0XuMScM/s320/in+the+frying+pan.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">At first I thought the wine might be too dry to go with the dish. But as it opened up and the butteriness of the potatoes, saltiness of the cheese, and spiciness of the sausage melded together the flavors all came together in harmony. The asparagus added just the right crunch and freshness. Not to mentioned I spotted the first daffodils of the season today.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1bx_dYQiLtIqHuTL5e6vIYKQHLVOzPGHYlp4tu1-kTKSBfJAzZ24uReNXXNoi1qDejgaDBne6bGYyaDxmQ5SOyiPUyl_2mmrVUR1MBzUehQrqoZmH1CDBn_4Gqk3xYtHKVkL7pyQVN4/s1600/potato+scramble+with+cheese.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1bx_dYQiLtIqHuTL5e6vIYKQHLVOzPGHYlp4tu1-kTKSBfJAzZ24uReNXXNoi1qDejgaDBne6bGYyaDxmQ5SOyiPUyl_2mmrVUR1MBzUehQrqoZmH1CDBn_4Gqk3xYtHKVkL7pyQVN4/s320/potato+scramble+with+cheese.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Sometimes a day on your own is just the thing, but it’s also nice to think ahead, the days will grow warmer and longer and my perfect day will be repeated with the increased bounty at the market and shared in the backyard with friends, Saturday Night jazz playing through the window.</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-9026052119940932692011-02-28T19:07:00.000-08:002011-03-06T19:00:16.982-08:00Found Treasures<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am finding that trying a new thing a month and trying to tighten up my budget is a tricky thing to accomplish. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> Plus the lingering cold decreases my motivation to push myself out of my comfort zone and into tango class. But I stumbled onto a solution of sorts. One of the benefits of living in close proximity to the more affluent neighbors at the other end of Capitol Hill is that often enough people purge by just leaving perfectly good household items on the sidewalk. Recently, on a fluke warm enough-to-ride-my -bike day, I scored a suitcase, food processor, and lamp. The former two I plan to give to friends who need them, the lamp I recently discovered fulfilled my new thing for February. The lamp was just a base. Feeling empowered and organized getting a lamp harp (also learned a new term) made it not only onto my to do list but quickly crossed off with a trip to Target. Of course it couldn’t be that easy; the first buy didn’t have the base thingy (apparently some terms remain a mystery) needed to attach the harp to the lamp base.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> After a trip to <a href="http://www.fragersdc.com/">Frager’s</a>, I thought I had learned my lesson to remember to shop there first. Next I had to disassemble the inside parts of a lamp, easy enough, but the wires that wrap around the light bulb socket made me nervous enough that one wrong move could prove to be disastrous. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> I embraced my inner MacGyver and persevered.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">new to me lamp</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoh6NdmNTKFlIolda4MIq_HrP-yxneGvn1pHX_jZ7CrO0gLSG_Xg4X58Ym1A-07V8XKZYFcb-TMRHt0LYsiijj8OXLOlT7vB4rCCmwL4aXnD9tjth5YMxkysM0ofyE3VU6R_OcIS8-2o/s1600/CIMG0359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoh6NdmNTKFlIolda4MIq_HrP-yxneGvn1pHX_jZ7CrO0gLSG_Xg4X58Ym1A-07V8XKZYFcb-TMRHt0LYsiijj8OXLOlT7vB4rCCmwL4aXnD9tjth5YMxkysM0ofyE3VU6R_OcIS8-2o/s320/CIMG0359.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamp harp, base thingy, and other random part</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">Of course now that I have the thing disassembled, I realize the base part thingy that came with the second lamp harp doesn’t actually fit in the lamp base. I figure at this point it’s best to just leave the pieces in the bowl on the coffee table for a couple of weeks. Frager’s comes to the rescue again and I find the kind of lamp thing that just fits on the bulb and attaches to the shade. Now if I had taken the easy way to put a lamp shade on my free lamp I might not have spent an extra $10 on lamp harps but I also wouldn’t have learned how to take a part and put back together a lamp. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_KUHt0N8fwa9jRyLlAFFVHpjN9knvfweFzXLgopbOBf0Di-tKfBNIXskDh-Ipj0nn_TfFsT3zlyIC9FI7E_DOlwlmKur-ShjJ_2nCqBUHHJY95wWuhbGByYS69mbhK411afjuPY4REc/s1600/snap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_KUHt0N8fwa9jRyLlAFFVHpjN9knvfweFzXLgopbOBf0Di-tKfBNIXskDh-Ipj0nn_TfFsT3zlyIC9FI7E_DOlwlmKur-ShjJ_2nCqBUHHJY95wWuhbGByYS69mbhK411afjuPY4REc/s200/snap.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">fixing snaps</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsd7s-tOyVt6pgOdQ-IEC9ljOrranaEJIHmjNMMiE1vSEre2NsaIVSu7ChCxMDnozsw-bbCfSZNBSlIh6hvswDUa6WleU_HDgXZ0gAwWnMNPmjq5_GQJiz1jGy1K-QY2f8WEavQA27p9E/s1600/sock+with+hole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsd7s-tOyVt6pgOdQ-IEC9ljOrranaEJIHmjNMMiE1vSEre2NsaIVSu7ChCxMDnozsw-bbCfSZNBSlIh6hvswDUa6WleU_HDgXZ0gAwWnMNPmjq5_GQJiz1jGy1K-QY2f8WEavQA27p9E/s200/sock+with+hole.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Darning socks</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">The whole exercise inspired me to fix the snaps I had sewn on to give extra security to a couple of wrap skirts and while I was at it darn a pair of socks. Living frugally may take some practice and patience but you do gain a greater sense of accomplishment and feel good about recycling stuff to boot. Maybe with my pennies I can feel ok about doing two new things in February and buy for the first time ever a brand new piece of furniture. I have my eye on this <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11095208&green=20644245300&clickid=mybuys_prod_cs">chair</a>. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">But then I found this stray part that didn't make it back into the assembled lamp. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-86zLrHNh-qmAKPJaiqXfeDfxrKF6IfTVPN6U5S0J00qygct1PHjfaKWy0PtcVMj10gUHUDanqhrnsI35gVsCM_YMBKURQLoSYQHvLeMs36fhH7mmPyQS4mUTdw679nfknsJJ-A2O1Q/s1600/CIMG0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-86zLrHNh-qmAKPJaiqXfeDfxrKF6IfTVPN6U5S0J00qygct1PHjfaKWy0PtcVMj10gUHUDanqhrnsI35gVsCM_YMBKURQLoSYQHvLeMs36fhH7mmPyQS4mUTdw679nfknsJJ-A2O1Q/s320/CIMG0217.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">What is it and is it necessary?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-24192985371464876702011-02-24T19:57:00.000-08:002011-02-24T19:57:20.380-08:00Spring will come<div class="MsoNormal">This was actually from a colder day in January.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was one of those bitterly cold Mondays, where just the air hurts your face and work makes you want to stick your face into a bag of potato chips. Luckily I had chicken stew in the crock pot to come home to and a roommate to cook the rice and sesame greens I had pulled out of the freezer; so I was able to feed my salt craving in time to catch the bus to meditation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FAUcjRTxQUt331JGpTe0sa8upAzxtPZRYi0tPLMLrsFfjtwSUQZAE-IYyKSExQj8vqhB02ajXiaxkBrpV6fxdqUww5vQ0jsKOHW0zcg0FhgCSxuiMhazzVVFSpQA3UNYPORbtf_G4GA/s1600/footsteps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FAUcjRTxQUt331JGpTe0sa8upAzxtPZRYi0tPLMLrsFfjtwSUQZAE-IYyKSExQj8vqhB02ajXiaxkBrpV6fxdqUww5vQ0jsKOHW0zcg0FhgCSxuiMhazzVVFSpQA3UNYPORbtf_G4GA/s320/footsteps.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The session was on fear, stopping the loop of thoughts that we pile onto this emotion creating hindrances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The preferable alternative is to pause, relax, and be open to what is. But first during the meditative sit, I took a huge pause and fell asleep. I don’t mean just a little slip into a deeper relaxation, I am talking about head jerking, starting to drool sleep, the kind that would get you a sharp nudge from your mother during church kind of sleep. Apparently my path to enlightenment must start with going to bed a lot earlier so I can be open to all my fears of the future. And apparently learning to let go of the mental composition of flavors in the vinaigrette I want to make for tomorrow’s nicoise salad so I can pay attention to the discussion. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXX_7qWSvbpKztAGzp-gn9GATeIBqmfeS1KNVTMjyWHMVlBLCCaFXwJ-njcLWXU7v0bWkqAQIrD1V7JCuSiiaflRtibyvzfKdvie-ffyZM3GUOh52EPbz-nms-Fce-tk4qdU-3iPl40P4/s1600/abstract.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXX_7qWSvbpKztAGzp-gn9GATeIBqmfeS1KNVTMjyWHMVlBLCCaFXwJ-njcLWXU7v0bWkqAQIrD1V7JCuSiiaflRtibyvzfKdvie-ffyZM3GUOh52EPbz-nms-Fce-tk4qdU-3iPl40P4/s200/abstract.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">On the way home I am still struggling to pass up my craving for potato chips. In the front door to the warmth, I heat a cup of milk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I am struck with brilliance, toast! I can usually pass on toast but I spy a fresh loaf of white bread my house mate has recently bought on top of the refrigerator. For all intensive purposes white bread has become a pleasant memory of the past skipped over for more virtuous whole grain bread. But there it is and memories of breakfast or a late night snack at my Grandmother’s wash over me. She lightly toasted the bread in a toaster oven so that the butter pats could melt into the bread as it toasted and then thick cool think homemade blackberry jam picked in the heat of summer from the brambles spreads over making the most perfect piece of happiness. And tonight I treat myself to white bread toast complete with butter, and my own homemade jam, this time from sour cherries a new adaptation to my more northern clime and one that reminds me there are some benefits to living farther north and spring will come.</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-6175061879446649252011-02-15T20:29:00.000-08:002011-02-15T20:29:40.015-08:00Returning Home<div class="MsoNormal">This past weekend, I went down to Alabama to visit my Grandmother and extended family. Now a lot of people may mock the Deep South but there are some very lovely places, wonderful people, and the places where family is and memories made are the nicest ones. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My family loves to eat in a way that might make more disciplined people cringe. We ate unapologetically ham sandwiches on white bread, homemade pound cake before lunch, and cheesy broccoli casserole made with Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup. Not at all the way I eat normally; but the foods of childhood help melt away the anxiety that can sometimes come with seeing far-away family because of the intensity of emotions squeezed into short visits.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The combination of a backdrop of mountains and lake and leaving behind my hectic life, a life that I love, was very restorative. I returned to DC feeling more grounded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But leaving behind the side of my family that is loud and boisterous, clamoring over one another at the dinner table can make my present life feel a bit lonely. That is until a dear friend surprised me with a piece of truffle cheese, the perfect way to end a Monday Valentine’s Day. We shared it over a round of Peronis, breaking it into little pieces until it was all gone but we were not.</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-60053354452112844032011-02-09T21:08:00.000-08:002011-02-10T21:54:18.643-08:00Hump DayThis has been one of those hump days when Friday seems further away than it did yesterday. The day started off fine with happy greetings from metro workers. Nine hours later emerging from a government cube into a sleety jam-packed metro ride home, my mood had definitely shifted. I will never understand the compunction other's have about leaning their entire body against a pole and flinging their hair about during rush hour!<br />
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Between doing laundry and preparing for tomorrow's meetings, there wasn't much time or desire to cook something. My normal stand-by for nights like these is pasta. The powers of slowly sauteed garlic in olive oil are not to be dismissed. Plus you can toss in whatever else you are in the mood for or have on hand and easily make a balanced meal. I opted instead for the gumbo which had been defrosting in the fridge just long enough to be at the eat it or toss it stage. While this was the responsible choice and did feed my need for the comfort of carbs it wasn't quite the same remedy. Luckily, I have some great kimchi. The resulting combo is not appealing enough to many nor picturesque to anyone that it should be shared in picture form here.But it did sated my near constant vinegary spicy craving. So instead I will leave this post tonight with a couple of pictures from a happier day, spent at Shenandoah Valley National Park and the thought that days like to day make the others ones even nicer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSANOUgijIivEbaF-15oXbUVQYnVF6ID-fY3iRc_sbOFc61PKEzMYLc1Xb4jmdhflcOB0JpQ11qyIOTisN-DWPQ4fCP3J5mdZmXex4VLTY26MA9-NNyeLxesLWJAieN-DA1p5dG4AxKZw/s1600/IMG_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSANOUgijIivEbaF-15oXbUVQYnVF6ID-fY3iRc_sbOFc61PKEzMYLc1Xb4jmdhflcOB0JpQ11qyIOTisN-DWPQ4fCP3J5mdZmXex4VLTY26MA9-NNyeLxesLWJAieN-DA1p5dG4AxKZw/s320/IMG_0140.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOxB6o0D2RlXLYaagtSxFspXRKtvvlC4ucxiuTVG0ZBNJJVBXrrESzdTItSGR62g8mldoX_5V9tHzMhpeahgw7rTGVhB0FyFAxPa_7FMHhweU6zGiohRyxG1MluPNq5LDUcQHmuyZJbY/s1600/IMG_0142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOxB6o0D2RlXLYaagtSxFspXRKtvvlC4ucxiuTVG0ZBNJJVBXrrESzdTItSGR62g8mldoX_5V9tHzMhpeahgw7rTGVhB0FyFAxPa_7FMHhweU6zGiohRyxG1MluPNq5LDUcQHmuyZJbY/s320/IMG_0142.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-34096378872452068332011-02-07T21:20:00.000-08:002011-02-07T21:20:47.282-08:00Facing our FearsFor the past couple of weeks at meditation the talk has been on fear. Recognizing what is behind it, if it is a healthy or unhealthy type of fear, and ways to deal with these emotions so that they do not become hindrances. As I reflect on these thoughts I know there are some large areas of my life where I have become very good at standing in my own way. But there are also smaller areas where this is surfacing. I have been very nervous to not only start this blog but to share it with people. Will I be exposing myself too much? Will I post often enough and interestingly enough? Should I be using my time for better purposes? <br />
And then there is the way that fear and anxiety creeps into cooking.<br />
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Yesterday I attended a Super Bowl party. This was exactly my kind of Super Bowl party where more attention was paid to the food, the funny commercials, and mocking the half-time show than actually watching the game. The host made a wonderful version of "chili" morchilla and chorizo. A grilled Caesar salad was whipped up and presented alongside a wonderful assortment of cheeses, smoked salmon, and childhood favorite dips.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijltkYPTyCkMBuHxT_ntABvrwS8RwGDdjBvyetq-s0du5rN1R8NuDlNevisxEzDvEJbJX9MgY3O0GBSJEkKJ4FRqqnzmT5CQVfbDXhFYOkXJpkLvtRrFtO82dDBYLndJgDi1DJhw1cmmM/s1600/remaining+chips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijltkYPTyCkMBuHxT_ntABvrwS8RwGDdjBvyetq-s0du5rN1R8NuDlNevisxEzDvEJbJX9MgY3O0GBSJEkKJ4FRqqnzmT5CQVfbDXhFYOkXJpkLvtRrFtO82dDBYLndJgDi1DJhw1cmmM/s200/remaining+chips.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy handful of remaining chips</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In the midst of challenging myself to eat only food I have previously purchased in an effort to get my budget back under control, I realized my pantry contained ingredients to make spinach artichoke dip. I also has a couple of sweet potatoes to fry into homemade chips. The chips came out beautifully, crisping up a bright orange to contrast with the gray day. The dip, usually one of my stand by party recipes, left something to be desired. I scrapped the very last bit of mayonnaise into the bowl and even with the last of the sour cream there wasn't enough creaminess to add to the current amount of ingredients already in the bowl. At this point there wasn't enough time to break my rule of staying away from the grocery so I just grated on a bit of extra cheese and took it for what it was, knowing the crowd of foodies in attendance. <br />
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There is a wonderful piece of advice from Julia Child in <i>My Life in France</i>. She advises cooks to never apologize for food served because if it is good it just makes you look like you are fishing for compliments and if it is bad it forces your guests to falsely give assurance that everything is wonderful. I need to practice following this advice. All said and done the dip was fine but not as I had hoped. I think knowing you don't have to apologize for mistakes should remove some fear, which is part of the path to happiness and enlightenment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AtcWjfU512tAcyHhTaamp4NznTN6qCiT4VzzBiAlLy_ZPNuNYXxSYvzSDae_W1w_irW_VbSdsspFberad1o6wCy-OYy3cmQANQXCJYFnfd_N8rNEt8Ps-3LskvpO2Gyuag_kQ4kVw3g/s1600/Hello+Dollys.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AtcWjfU512tAcyHhTaamp4NznTN6qCiT4VzzBiAlLy_ZPNuNYXxSYvzSDae_W1w_irW_VbSdsspFberad1o6wCy-OYy3cmQANQXCJYFnfd_N8rNEt8Ps-3LskvpO2Gyuag_kQ4kVw3g/s320/Hello+Dollys.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Dollys make an excellent bedtime snack</td></tr>
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Plus most of the cooks I know are our own worst critics. The dessert for the Superbowl party, Hello Dollys, were made from the host's mother's recipe. He wasn't satisfied in much the same way I wasn't with my dip; after all the hardest things to cook are what your mother makes well. But the leftover bars I am eating as I type this are certainly contributing to my current happiness.Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5620712062425339937.post-65650263101596158872011-02-06T11:51:00.000-08:002011-02-07T20:05:53.357-08:00Ode to Aunt Sally<div class="MsoNormal">This was originally posted as a guest spot on <a href="http://thegreengourmets.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/morrocan-tangine/">The Green Gourmets </a>and served as the impetus for starting this blog.<br />
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I have loved food for a long time, and I take pride in being able to put together a meal not just for myself but one worthy of sharing with friends on a pretty tight budget. But as the issues and calamities of our food system are getting more attention (deservedly so), the choices we make at the market are not always so simple. It is easy to get bogged down by too many choices, and trying to decipher what’s the right choice. Do I go local versus organic all while trying to keep my budget in check? There are times when I haven’t planned ahead and haven’t made it to the market, need to go to the gym, still have to buy groceries and am left standing among aisles of food comparing what the USDA approves as organic with the foods I grew up with. After all of the confusion, it’s easy to lose a bit of the joy that good food brings to our lives. But then sometimes all of the factors come together in just the right way for a perfect meal. So here’s to Aunt Sally…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4yNImQOuhHdMyvh_gqmD-X02LXfnwo5B2FquJQap8W6NkMGGCdGfpSf3ynG0LIZFBQJmld0PHjSKlEnSCtl8B-ahL5uk7m6gaY4b19iH4oMxxbOi5ZMKKt3sK93eWXbUmX9aiZq-EO8/s1600/mise+en+place.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4yNImQOuhHdMyvh_gqmD-X02LXfnwo5B2FquJQap8W6NkMGGCdGfpSf3ynG0LIZFBQJmld0PHjSKlEnSCtl8B-ahL5uk7m6gaY4b19iH4oMxxbOi5ZMKKt3sK93eWXbUmX9aiZq-EO8/s320/mise+en+place.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Inspiration for this meal came from my good friend Patrick’s Aunt Sally and her guiding influence on his life, a desire to preserve lemons, and the need to test a beautiful tangine to determine its status as cookware or simply decorative. In my freezer were two beautiful, bison osso bucco cuts from <a href="http://www.gunpowderbison.com/">Gunpowder Bison</a>, waiting since the fall trip to the country for the right occasion to present itself. The recipe below is a close adaptation from, <span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Moroccan Cuisine</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> by Paula Wolfert.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Soak a cup of prunes in cold water. Set aside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGiEFpina5Td1VE-DYQhIyGG3qQK37AxPNEy9bXxlQrAJu1a2jHDKIPgnvFzGq_snNnKUF3raKPLNvQ_u8ZeG66-vHwpLAJ9jT9qo_ad3mGSQikEt8lDNILjPDPuZoGqOlDmcQPgAAlUI/s1600/butter%252C+onions%252C+oil+in+tangine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGiEFpina5Td1VE-DYQhIyGG3qQK37AxPNEy9bXxlQrAJu1a2jHDKIPgnvFzGq_snNnKUF3raKPLNvQ_u8ZeG66-vHwpLAJ9jT9qo_ad3mGSQikEt8lDNILjPDPuZoGqOlDmcQPgAAlUI/s320/butter%252C+onions%252C+oil+in+tangine.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">In the tangine over low heat, melt 3 ½ oz of unsalted butter, 3 tbsps olive oil, a pinch of saffron, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of ground ginger, 3 tbsps grated onion, and 4 sprigs of cilantro tied together with twine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Once the mixture begins to meld together, place the meat in the pot. Cook for a few minutes on each side then add enough water to almost cover the meat. Note this is not the same as braising since the ceramic tangine can’t get hot enough to brown the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for an hour. During this time we made the start of preserved lemons in preparation of our next Moroccan feast, (stay tuned ) and ate some wonderful pate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymbf3pJZ4n0v8kr9E-7kS-OUXtdBeoytLhkVsF_EPBksvvHuYzGmjn4ncrV8c3dtUHBMezsPWa_yTgPGq78tRzCMrqY3l9jKwoWI4bTCOL1Rvc9D89cVJQoly7Es3c4UARVGvnE8bdlM/s1600/bison+in+tangine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymbf3pJZ4n0v8kr9E-7kS-OUXtdBeoytLhkVsF_EPBksvvHuYzGmjn4ncrV8c3dtUHBMezsPWa_yTgPGq78tRzCMrqY3l9jKwoWI4bTCOL1Rvc9D89cVJQoly7Es3c4UARVGvnE8bdlM/s320/bison+in+tangine.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once the meat has simmered for an hour, add a thinly sliced small to medium onion, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add drained prunes, along with 1-2 tbsps of sugar or honey, ¼ tsp cinnamon. Uncover the tangine and simmer until the prunes soften and the liquid reduces to two-thirds, about 30 minutes. At this point if you haven’t already, pour some wine and enjoy the incredible aroma that is now filling your house. You have a choice at this point to either catch up on daily trivial life pursuits or solve the world’s problems. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRKUeedCKWx4xHeUcrewTCCjV-htSmN0Q3G-186c5TcOAR5cyyLdTPjXE5hLqOJZ0jXDuEJoWIY3Ug8zuP0EEVvZfM6yJYFUfWwtwBVgUpWD7KTNZCihRT57UNNch_j2MbhmE4Zh_r8Q/s1600/with+prunes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRKUeedCKWx4xHeUcrewTCCjV-htSmN0Q3G-186c5TcOAR5cyyLdTPjXE5hLqOJZ0jXDuEJoWIY3Ug8zuP0EEVvZfM6yJYFUfWwtwBVgUpWD7KTNZCihRT57UNNch_j2MbhmE4Zh_r8Q/s320/with+prunes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When there is about ten minutes left in the cooking time for the tangine, cook the couscous. For two people we added 1 cup of Israeli couscous to 1 ¼ cup of stock, with an extra pinch of saffron because at this point you are fully embracing this experience. In a large skillet sauté peeled, quartered apples in some butter, cinnamon, and sugar. We used two Pink Ladies and two Granny Smiths from Eastern Market farm stand. These varieties can be found late into the winter season and provide just the right balance of sweet, tart, and crispness to hold up in the pan yet add a subtle creaminess to the palate of the dish. I saved half of the apple peels to add to salads and composted the rest.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yEZsE6dFaQSewdNCiZV-7im-BzArWhQlrbD388bgBXXBwpvuP46MCmkujCPmU9CWS7RD_DtVVfgJ5jGBrYrRx5YiiKlY31KXVQiR1tLcTPvk4tCff6Xzdo5xgjU8s6T-Av8R8hdKYIs/s1600/platter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yEZsE6dFaQSewdNCiZV-7im-BzArWhQlrbD388bgBXXBwpvuP46MCmkujCPmU9CWS7RD_DtVVfgJ5jGBrYrRx5YiiKlY31KXVQiR1tLcTPvk4tCff6Xzdo5xgjU8s6T-Av8R8hdKYIs/s320/platter.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Dinner is served! We enjoyed this seasonal meal with a lovely Bordeaux picked up for the bargain price of $7.99. The robust flavours filled our bodies and spirits just as icy rain began to fall outside. And I was given a renewed sense of what Slow Food truly is, good, clean, fair, and enjoyed from preparation to finish with friends. A glass of Italian dessert wine and gingersnaps rounded out the finish. So cheers to Aunt Sally and <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Buon apetito </span></span>a tutti.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292410236125920139noreply@blogger.com1