A Plea

 

      Dear Abby,

         A few weeks ago I was blessed with the arrival of this yummy gift in the mail: a rockin handmade bag created by none other than the fabulous former princess. 

     Abby, dude, this bag is so hip I cannot stand myself! 

And here is my problem, now that I am wearing the bag everywhere and planning outfits ensembles to compliment it I notice that I am getting a lot more attention.  People are stopping me on the street, “wow, that is one fab bag, where did you get it and by the way, you are so hip to be carrying an accessory of this nature” 

                                      and on and on with the  blah, blah, blah.

 

 Now I’m not saying this isn’t the truth but the way  people are touching, fondling groping  the bag and getting much too close to me just to be near IT, well that is just too much.

is it rude to shriek, “hands off the bag you greedy onlookers, it’s mine, all mine and you’re getting street smudge on it and if you leave the stench of tacos or cigarettes on it I will die” ?

If I could, I would swing that sucker over my head and send out a good whack with it but that would be disrepecting the bag and it wouldn’t be worth it.  The bag has to come first!!

So Abby, how can I separate those who love me truly from those who love me for my bag and the air of hipness it provides?  

 

                             I am desperately awaiting your response,  

                                                     Jules

P.S. Abby girl, it even makes my butt look smaller, I swear!!!!

P.P.S. Abby, this bag has me so enchanted I even coordinated the colors in this letter to match it!

P.P.S. if your jealousy gets the best of you then you can buy equally hip (and slimming) things made by her by going HERE.

 

 

One Big Love

 

 

    

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amusements and Drivel

Yesterday was better.  And I have every intention that today will be good, as well.

very sexy (ahem) eggplant #1

(the bugs have been horrendous and this may be one of a mere handful)

 

pumpkin #12, they are surviving the cucumber beetles and the invasion of the

EVIL SQUASH BUGS

 

two monarch crysalises (chrysali?) the one on the right broke open this morning

 

I was looking at it yesterday and thinking how amazing it all is and here I am,

a witness to it.

 

 And this, my husband brought this home from a yard sale with a smile on his face

“Beer Drinking Sing Along: To Get The Party Started”

“this looks like trouble waiting to happen” he said.

It sure does.

 

I love that he is still as funny as the day I met him.

Today?

• 
  
  blackberries: the berries in the woods are 2-3 weeks behind the ones in our fields and so are just now ready.  A few days ago, Trevor picked 4-5 quarts and ran out of containers.  They taste warm and deep and spicy sweet.  Like earth, only better.


• 
  
  broccoli, I need to freeze 3-4 pounds more, it will not stop.


• 
  
  what else? rolling around on the floor with my little lovelies


• 
  
  maybe play a little dress up?


• 
  
  ignore cramps


• 
  
  look at the woodpiles and think about bringing in the 5 cords we will burn this winter and how good the exercise will be for my mood. The stacks are so pretty right now, though. 

Tonight? 

A mamas evening at a friend’s house with wine and crafting and (always) good conversation.  

Who’s coming to pick me up after?  I’ll be ready around 10:00 because I am bit of a fart.

 

 

 

(ETA: Bottom)

Yup

~~~~~

“At the worst, a house unkept cannot be so distressing as a life unlived.”

 –Dame Rose Macaulay 

 

 

Oh, we are so living!

ahem. chortle. sniffle.

*******

ETA, I Guess I’m not done With This Post Yet

I’m trying to concentrate on the good things today as I am hormonally perturbed, cranky, raging and feel like I could bite someone’s head off (and no particular person, either, just anyone who feels like looking at me funny). SIGH.

These are the trickiest of days; I try and suck it up so I’m bearable but I cannot always do this well.  I tell the kids, “I’m having one of those cranky days but I’ll do my best, what would be fun to do so I can distract myself?”

Jesse says, “Let’s make smoothies!”

O.K., done.

 

 

And Roo says, “take my picture, look at me, mummy!”

O.K., I can do that.

 

And my heart tells me that a few minutes alone would do me good and when the kids go out in the rain with Trevor, I fix myself something delicious

and enjoy 15 minutes of peace.

 

homemade bread with yellow heirloom tomato slices and homemade goat cheese with herbs, broiled to perfection and accompanied by a heavenly glass of elderberry juice.

Because I matter, too, and a lovely meal restores me.

 

 I know tomorrow will be better

but today turned out pretty good anyway.

 

 

 

BARNYARD: The Movie

I Took Jesse to see this last week and he enjoyed it.  I was a bit miffed though.

This is Otis (on the left),

Otis is a male bovine, also known as a bull.

bulls do not have udders

And that’s no BULL.

 

 

What Are You Eating?!

Recipes! (primarily from “Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking”)

Indian Meal #1

 

Gujerati Carrot Salad (serves 4)

5 carrots, grated

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 T veg oil

1 T black mustard seeds

2 tsp lemon juice

toss carrots with salt, heat the oil in small pan over medium. when hot, put in the mustard seeds and pull off the stove as soon as they begin to pop. Pour over the carrots, add lemon juice and serve or chill.

Pooris (serves 4-5)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 T veg oil

1/2 cup water

mix flours and salt in a bowl and then mix in the oil and work with your fingers until crumbly. Slowly add water and mix until it forms a ball of dough and then knead for 5-10 minutes. lightly oil the ball and slip it into a plastic bag and let rest for 20 minutes.  Then, knead the dough again and divide it into 12 balls. Roll these out into circles 5-6 inches across.  Heat about 1 inch of oil in  a small frying pan until very hot then add poori and cook for a few seconds until it puffs and then flip and finish the other side.  Eat immediately or keep warm in oven, these are best when HOT.

Lemony Chicken with Fresh Cilantro

2 one inch cubes fresh ginger

1 cup water

6 T veg oil

2-3 lbs chicken pieces, skinned

5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

3 cups fresh cilantro, finely chopped (without stems)

1/2-1 fresh hot green chili, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tsp ground cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

2 T lemon juice

Put the ginger and 1/4 cup water into a blender or processor. Blend until you have a paste.

Put the oil in a wide, heavy, preferably nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, put in as many chicken pieces as pan will hold in a single layer, and brown on both sides. Remove the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and put them in a bowl. Brown all the chicken pieces this way.

Add the garlic to the hot oil. As soon as the pieces turn a medium-brown color, turn heat to medium and pour in the ginger paste. Stir-fry it for a minute. Now add the fresh coriander, jalapeno, cayenne, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and salt. Stir and cook for a minute.

Put in all the chicken pieces as well as any liquid that might have accumulated in the chicken bowl. Add 2/3 c. water and the lemon juice. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, turn heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.

Turn the chicken pieces over. Cover again and cook another 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender. If the sauce is too thin, uncover the pan and boil some of it away over a slightly higher heat.

Indian Meal #2

Beef & Yogurt with Black Pepper

Ingredients 2 pounds boneless stewing beef cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 1/4 cup plain yogurt, lightly beaten 3 medium onions 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger 1/8-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon paprika 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). 2. Heat the oil in a wide flameproof casserole type pot over a medium high flame. When hot, put in as many meat pieces as the pot will hold easily in a singe layer. 3. Brown the meat on all sides and set aside in a deep plate. Brown all meat this way and then remove. 4. Put the onions and garlic in the same pot and turn heat to medium. 5. Stir fry the onions and garlic for about 10 minutes or until browned. 6. Add the meat and juices as well as the ginger, cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir for a minute. 7. Now add the yogurt and bring to a simmer. 8. Cover tightly, first with aluminum foil and then the lid to the pot. 9. Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. If the meat is not tender after this time, add 1/2 cup boiling water, cover tightly and bake another 20-30 minutes. 10. Stir before serving. Gujerati green beans 1 lb green beans 4 Tbsp oil 1 Tbsp whole black mustard seed 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 hot dried red chili, coarsely crushed 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar Pepper Trim the beans and cut them into 1″ lengths. Blanch (or use frozen beans), drain, cool, set aside. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add mustard seed. When they begin to pop, add garlic and stir till light brown. Add red pepper and stir a few seconds. Add green beans, sugar and salt, stir to mix. Turn heat to medium low, stir and cook about 8 minutes or until they taste spicy. Add pepper, mix and serve Chapatis 1 3/4 cups sifted wholewheat flour 3/4 cup unbleached flour mix the flours and slowly add about 3/4 cup of water, gathering the flour as you do and form a soft dough. knead for 5-6 minutes until smooth and put in a bowl to rest for 1/2 hour.  Set cast iron pan on the stove and turn the heat on high for a few minutes beofre lowering. Knead dough again and divide into 15 parts, rubbing hands with flour as you go.  Form and ball and flour your surface, roll it out into a circle until it’s 5-6 inches in diameter. Shake off the flour and put the chapati in the pan, let cook on low for about 1 minute then flip it and cook for 1/2 minute on the other side.  then, move the pan and put the chapati directly on the flame and leave it there for a few seconds until it puffs, then flip it and give it a few seconds on the other side. For dinnner tonight, we had grilled corn, leeks and green peppers and ate them with fresh cheese tortillini covered,  doused,  smothered in fresh pesto.  And since I am a cooking fool (among other things), I am making goats milk sour cream, chevre and fresh tonight (thanks to the New England Cheesemaking Supply Co).  We love to buy our raw goats milk down the road at this place. Enjoy!!!

ETA: at bottom

Oh Sweet Lord Of Missing Objects,

(or: where are my stinking keys!?!)

Yesterday afternoon, Jesse and I made our monthly trip a few miles down the road to our local “flea market/ junk heaven”.  This place is huge and we spent about an hour there, poking and prodding everything. It was fun until we were leaving and I realized that  I LOST MY KEYS!!!

You know how?  They fell out of the shallow pockets of my new low-rise pants, damn it!!! These pants are taking me down, I swear.

I spent the morning searching the place and cannot locate them.

(you can see why)

 

 

 

Here is why I searched so long and hard; it is not the keys (replaceable) but rather the ring to which I am painfully attached.  The keys sit on a giant safety pin and I have been using this pin as my keychain since I bought my first car in 1987.  This keychain is the one item that has gone EVERYWHERE with me in the past 19 years; on every road trip, started all the cars I have owned, opened all the doors for the apartments and houses in which I lived and keys on it have been used to open the doors to our first home together. 

The ring was the Thing that held all these keys together and connected these sometimes disjointed parts of my life.

So I am a bit sad.

But there will be more road trips and doors to open and I am looking for a new and exciting keychain to join me on the trip.

Any Ideas?

because this is not the one for me

Toilet Bowl Lip Gloss  I like these but they aren’t me  hain

this one is a bit much

 

this could work

Devil Duckie

HELP!!!

~~~~~

In other news…

• 
  
  this morning Trevor whispered to Jesse as they were waking up, “shhhh, lets be quiet so mommy can get some sleep” and Jesse replied, “why? It’s not like it’s her birthday or anything”   very funny, Jesse.


• the freezer is nearly full and I’m not sure I’m done (but perhaps I am) I suppose it’s time to can more and freeze less


• as a result of eating grilled cheese, pasta and scrambled eggs too many times in one week, I have made a menu plan for the next week and am posting it on the fridge.  We have all the ingredients in the house and whomever cooks dinner can consult the list for ideas this week. Trevor cooks about half the time but cannot usually come up with ideas and usually comes to me 15 minutes AFTER the kids are collapsing from starvation with, “Hon, do you have ideas about dinner?” 

 Darn tootin I have ideas, and here they are:

Spinach Ricotta Calzones (w/ a carrot salad) from the “Moosewood” cookbook

Chard Stuffed Fish (w/ crusty bread and corn on the cob) my own recipe

Yogurt Simmered Beef (indian dish, served with basmaiti rice and broccoli) from “Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookbook”

Cheesy Zucchini Bake (with garlic tomato salad) from “The Classic Zucchini Cookbook”

Lemon-y Chicken with Coriander (w/chapatis or pooris and indian green beans) from “Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookbook”

Herb-Stuffed Pattypan squash (w/cold garbanzo bean salad and fresh veggies) from “The Classic Zucchini Cookbook”

 

I’m going outside to play,

I hope your day has been good.

     

 

ETA: I’ll post some recipes tomorrow…

Dear Xanga,

why did you eat my post?

I hate you.

ox

love, Julie

 

 The Dog Did It

(or: “LUUUUCYYYY!!!”)

 

For breakfast today: a platter of blueberry pancakes with some turkey sausage.

The dog ate it.

For fun this afternoon, the kids spent about 1.5 hours painting a huge mural on paper with flowers and hands and houses

The dog ate it, too.

As consolation, a tearful Roo and I went and picked  flowers and put the  bouquet on the kitchen table.

The dog ate them ,as well.

 

Good thing the kids don’t go to school and have any homework…

because you-know-who would’ve scarfed that down, as well.

 

I’m putting this puppy on a diet!!!

 

 

 

Roo Loves to Hula

 

 

 

  

 

 

 P.S. Go see island_mama and give her some lovin’!!!