For Life and Rights

Oh, the irony of those who don’t believe a woman has the right to make reproductive decisions regarding a pregnancy and her unique circumstances, those who “defend life” at any cost to the woman who’s actually affected – Without fail, those are most often of the republican persuasion, and the religious persuasion to boot.  They act as if they are crusaders for life, although the life of the woman and women’s rights be damned. Follow their path – as a whole, (but there are of course always exceptions), they do not support so much of life on the ground – the mother and eventual child if they aren’t able to take care of themselves, just look at our homeless population, our starving children, our orphans who aren’t adopted, our children born of addiction and abandoned, our mentally ill left to fend for themselves, life if that life might come from another country seeking safety from a repressed and violent existence, (BUILD THE WALL) they do not support life if that life is what they call “sucking off the system”, they do not support life if the person they chose to love doesn’t meet their comfort levels.

Right now in Alabama they do not support the well being and life of the woman, no matter how young! if she’s been raped, incestually or otherwise. There are more than 3,000 homeless people in Alabama every day. Why aren’t the “pro-lifers” taking them in? There are 266,000 children living in poverty in Alabama alone!  Many of them go hungry on a daily basis – why aren’t we feeding the children? I laugh when those people feign religion. I laugh when republicans say that want less government interfering in their life… and yet they believe a woman’s body should be the exception. If you’re a woman and you follow that cult, shaking my head here.

I am truly pro life – and pro choice – I don’t believe in late term abortion and that’s true of most women, just look at the actual statistics. I believe women to be capable of making decisions for themselves with their own body and circumstances. Because we have already proved as a society we aren’t gonna do the job for them or truly help them, no, we’ve failed miserably at that. Because I don’t have to have experienced rape or incest or the horror of a dying or severely deformed fetus or any other awful medical crisis to have sympathy for the woman in that position, and I don’t believe your or I have a right to hold her up in the medical decisions she and her doctor have to make in horrible circumstances. Because I don’t practice whatever your religion is – and there are over 400, and I believe in science – and that a cluster of cells at the beginning of a pregnancy are just that – with the POTENTIAL for life, but not yet viable life. I believe in taking care of babies after they are born,  not dumping them at the proverbial altar.

That any part of this country is reverting when it comes to women’s rights is pathetic. All women should be alarmed, no matter what your stance on abortion. And if you still can’t see the forest for the trees, may your God help you should you ever find yourself in one of those awful situations above. Because your chosen republican lawmakers won’t.

Not a democrat, not a fucking snowflake. I’m a believer in freedom to have control over our bodies, our decisions, our circumstances, our chosen religion or non religion. I believe in compassion, empathy, and assistance for those who need it, the life WITH BOOTS ALREADY ON THE GROUND.

First, let’s kill all the hypocrisy

Well, holy hell

If you’re a GOT fan but haven’t watched last night’s episode, the second to the last of the series – (I’m crying here!!) then look away unless you’re into spoilers.

I was going to write about it, but the following is posted on CNN today, and it’s utterly hilarious and spot on.. … read on.

If someone asks you about what happened this week on that little dragon show you watch,  you are more than allowed to just scream at full volume for an hour and 20 minutes. Because that’s what this episode was. Just one, long 80-minute “AAAAHHH!!!”

Jon Snow went from outsider to king. Is the Iron Throne next?

Things start off quietly enough.  Without Missandei to braid her hair or apply her undereye concealer, Daenarys is leaning into the “foreshadowing fiery genocide” aesthetic while moping around Dragonstone. She’s mad at Jon, mad at Tyrion and especially mad at Varys for going around blabbing about Jon’s true lineage. It appears the “Master of Whispers” has become the “Master of Discussing Deadly Secrets at Full Volume,” and before you can even get emotionally prepared for this week’s carnage, everyone’s standing on the beach looking stoic and Dany is sentencing Varys to death and Drogon is bearing his 3,000 teeth and wow, we’re off to the races.
One major character death down, a shocking amount left to go.
Tyrion, full of doubt and fear and definitely not used to either, finds Jaime who has been captured and imprisoned at Dragonstone. The two brothers share a good hug and Tyrion outlines a plan for Jaime to escape with Cersei and start life anew in Essos, where ostensibly they are more forgiving of murderous incest.

But first, it’s time for war. The mood is tense in Kings Landing, where throngs of common folk are being herded inside the Red Keep, and the Golden Fleet and the Iron Company are assuming their positions as unwitting dragon appetizers. If Dany’s general haggard appearance wasn’t foreshadowing enough, we get lots of good, salt-of-the-earth shots of the innocent citizens of Kings Landing with their doe-eyed children in tow. By the laws of television, you only get affectionate close-ups of the unwashed if something really, really terrible is about to happen to them.

How to speak like a true Targaryen from 'Game of Thrones'

It’s a laughably easy win for Daenerys and company. Even Cersei sees it, perched atop the Red Keep with a concerned Qyburn. Side note: Ol’ Cers must be about 500 months pregnant now, so why does she have the belly of someone who had, like, five bites of a burrito for lunch?
Anyway, she’s hemmed in and she knows it. As the city’s fortifications burn to ash and enemy forces close in, the bells of surrender begin to sound. A single tear rolls down Cersei’s proud face. Drogon and Daenerys let up, the Unsullied and the Lannister forces exchange a hearty round of handshakes and the two sides proceed with a peaceful transfer of power.
Just kidding! Dany goes full-on Mad Queen and burns the living hell out of EVERYTHING. Innocent children? You get a Dracarys! Entire city blocks? You get a Dracarys! Everyone gets a Dracarys! Jon and Tyrion’s faces say it all. This is definitely not how it was supposed to go. Daenerys Targaryen has gone rogue.

However, don’t think that just because thousands of people are being burned alive and King’s Landing is literally crumbling to the ground that there isn’t time to have a slapfight about who gets to be Cersei’s boyfriend. Somehow, among everything going on, Euron, the drunk cockroach of Westeros, finds Jaime and they have an extremely athletic tussle on the banks of Blackwater Bay. It’s not all bad though: Jaime kills Euron, which we can agree is a personal favor to us all.
Oh, right! By the way, Arya and the Hound must have ditched their horses for high speed rail, because they’re also here in Kings Landing. The Hound urges Arya to get out while she can, and they part with as much tenderness as two soft murder beings can muster. There’s nothing like apocalyptic dragon fire to make a girl forget all about her kill list, and before long Arya is running terrified through the streets like everyone else.

Meanwhile, The Hound has revenge on his mind. He runs into Cersei, Qyburn and The Mountain as they’re fleeing the Red Keep, and after The Mountain ragdolls Qyburn into the afterlife, CLEGANEBOWL IS ON. (Again, gentle reminder: Everything is burning! Is now the best time to be settling personal scores?)
Actually, the answer is yes. The Hound finally unmasks The Mountain, revealing a swole moldy Darth Vader where his brother used to be. They fight. It’s glorious and gory. Goryious? Apparently, The Mountain is impervious to literally everything, up to and including daggers through the brain, so The Hound does the only thing left he can do: Trucks him through a crumbling wall and off the side of the Red Keep to a fiery, mutual death.
(By the way, people are still burning.)
Jaime and Cersei finally find each other, and if they weren’t both deeply horrible people who have committed unspeakable sins and backtracked on seasons worth of character development, their reunion would almost be sweet. You would almost, for one second, be forgiven for hoping they could escape and be weird with each other in Pentos for the rest of their days. But you only get one second! Remember Brienne! And Missandei! And Margaery and everyone else who has ever suffered and died at these people’s three collective hands! Jaime and Cersei deserve the poetic, meaningful deaths that are inevitably coming their way!
Hmm? What’s that? Oh, they get crushed under some rubble while trying to escape? Two of the main antagonists, who have driven the show’s id since the very first episode of the very first season, just kinda get squished?
That’s disappointing. Alexa, play “The Rains of Castamere.”

Eventually, Daenerys lets up on her scorched earth campaign, leaving a horrified Jon to deal with what has become of his queen. With a million questions hanging in the air, we close with Arya escaping on a white horse that just happens to be prancing around the charred bodies of Kings Landing. Where is she going? Hopefully to Storm’s End, because a girl deserves to relax with a blacksmith lord and forget about this smoldering mess. Yeah, Valar Morghulis and everything but… come on.

Burning questions

If we’re supposed to buy Dany turning Mad Queen after seasons of building her up as a hero and a revolutionary, why did she get about 3.5 seconds of screen time once she started burning everything down?
Bran was pretty insistent that Jaime had something important to do when he came to Winterfell, but other than breaking Brienne’s heart and going out like roadkill that… didn’t seem to manifest?
Was the wildfire interspersed throughout the inferno significant?
Why was no one wearing HELMETS?!
What is Jon going to do now that his aunt queen is completely off the rails?
How much self control will it take Sansa to not laugh in Jon’s face and say “I told you so?”
Has anyone outside of the North or Kings Landing been affected by anything that’s happened this season or are they just browning their butter and tossing back ale as usual?
Speaking of, is Hot Pie okay? He wasn’t in this episode but just, in general. Can we get a welfare check?

Drinking the Koolaid

I haven’t written much about this subject lately, for several reasons, but most importantly for my own sanity.   I don’t find joy in expressing opinions that will offend or criticize other people. In fact my greatest wish for all mankind is for we humans  to come together  to exist peacably in our daily, brief existence on this planet in a way that at the very least protects the health of our  irreplaceable world, the one  which we are trashing daily and at feverish rate.   I pray we will wake up and  recognize that working together is the only way to a fair economy, a balanced society, the only way we  can avoid eventually killing ourselves off.   Is there anyone out there who actually doesn’t want this?

What would it entail?  Oh, so very many things, but none of it impossible.  First up-  we need to stop electing officials who continue to divide us, who are bought by big business that continues to trash our environment and our economy in favor of the wealth of the elite few who protect their own interests at the expense of all else, who continue to encourage economic divide and  remove the safeguards that protect this one earth, the animals we raise for food  and the wild ones who all play a part in the health of our ecological system.

I now realize I have been a bit naive – For a while it felt like we were becoming enlightened to the ills – more tolerant and respectful of our differences, regulations were put in place to protect our environment and animal welfare, people were taking notice and proceeding accordingly.  I thought prejudice and racism were fading fast, acceptance and realization of our equality more the norm.  While politics and human nature have always had their ugly side, I still felt the majority of people for the most part wanted whats good for all, whether we agreed on what that meant or how it could be implemented.

Politicians come and go, and all are human, none without flaws.  Now, however, .. we have a huge problem we may never recover from  – a liar in the oval office who has never, ever shown concern for anyone or anything but himself and his giant ego…. and the even bigger issue – the  minions who suddenly condone or ignore what he’s actually made of and continue to support what should never have been supported in the first place.    DT has  certainly never been a religious man, and yet now because it feeds his “base” he spins it in and it’s celebrated.  How does supporting him work for someone who believes themselves to be a Christian?    He continuously encourages divide, childishly insults anyone who doesn’t bow to his whims and praise him, his lies since taking office have reached past the 10,000 mark.  He refuses to reveal his taxes, his financial records, he’s been a horrible business man in many cases, an awful husband to three women, cheating on all of them,  and a poor example of a father in my book.  He is BFF’s with foreign hostile powers, the man who is responsible for trying and succeeding in fucking with  our democracy,  a goal that has been his for a long time.   He calls that man to discuss our business, can you imagine.  What a fool he must take us all to be.

I doubt a DT supporter is still reading this – it has to be hard, internally, even if you don’t let it show externally, to support and defend a monster such as he if you’re truly a decent person.  I’m no longer interested in  the excuses –  “we needed change, he is doing something the other politicians weren’t, he’s getting stuff done”.   We can’t afford the price we’re paying for his leadership – one clear example – Racism and prejudice is alive and thriving – they’ve got more wind in their sails,  having found new solid ground, a stronger voice, they praise DT because they see him as “one of them” due to his own lunatic, hateful rhetoric.

It can’t be denied if we’re being honest here, that our immigration issue is a big one, and others before him have failed to get it right.  Same can be said for our health care system.   He has yet to come up with a decent solution that will actually work on any of those fronts, and he continues the practice of rewarding the extreme wealthy elite – while the little guy continues to pay for it.   How is it lost on anyone? … because it’s right there for all to see. The Emperor wears no concealing clothes, he is what he is, boldly and without apology.   You can’t tell me there isn’t a better answer out there to  fix what needs fixing in this country than an ego maniacal habitual liar who  chooses  division  instead of uniting this already torn Country, stomping all over our Constitution and  poluting the integrity of the office he holds with his falsities,  time and time again.  While our media has needed a check for a long time, DT  IS the Fake News.  Don’t take my word for it… count his lies.  Do the research.  Seek truth, not what’s convenient to your belief system.

I Love My Country.  I love our freedoms, I  respect our diversity.  I appreciate all that is good in this place we all call home, and we can thank members of all political parties for their thoughtful vision in the past –  not just for the problems of the present.  I’m praying for us all that those giving DT power will stop drinking the Koolaid.  I’m hoping, wishing on stars, lucky striped stones,  dandelion seeds blown into the wind and birthday candles  that in 2020 we’ll elect a more sane, rational, planet and true Country loving leader than the one currently set on his throne, no matter what the party affiliation.

Off the soapbox for now… if you got this far, thanks for lending an ear – and your opinion in the comments if you so choose.    While I have always welcomed opposing views on whatever the subject, this one is closed.  As I stated above, I’m no longer interested in the excuses, for I feel the damage is far too great at this point.  If you’re not willing to admit the damage being done on the world stage, not just our own, that’s your right… and your burden to bear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When there’s no sun, find some light

New England is still wearing her dingy grey cloak, refusing to take it off in order to properly herald Spring. So what’s a Yankee to do? … head to the garden center to purchase some cheer!  Mom joined the Mr. and I  on a jaunt across the  CT river , where we bought some bright red geraniums which I’ll plant in the big pots down at Stella-by-the-Sea in the coming days.

On the way we stopped for lunch across from the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam…

So many charming centuries old homes in this part of town…   tulips and flowering trees everywhere!

On to Balleks,  a family owned farm/garden center/greenhouse that’s been in the Ballek family since the 1660’s – how’s that for history. Some of the Ballek family in their 90’s still roam the isles helping customers, it’s a lovely thing to see.

They have SO many unique plants inside the large greenhouse and two big old silos that have some tales to tell, I’m sure.

 

The “pods” below are large – you could put your reading glasses in there.

Meanwhile.. back on the farm – I’ve moved the chicks to the big coop, creating a temporary nursery out there inside the covered enclosed chicken yard, complete with their heat lamp.  They got too big for the chick condo on the porch and it was beginning to look like a pig pen out there with shavings and hay and chick food and chick dander littering every surface from ground to ceiling.  Bleh.   I did scrub the porch once everything was out – we’ll actually be able to sit out there again once it dries.

The new girls in their temporary coop nursery

Which is basically a sectioned off area in the big covered coop “yard” separated with bird mesh and a tarp, wrapped on the outside with a plastic drop cloth to keep the wind off them.

The big girls on the other side of the tarp.

So much work to integrate five little chicks into the fold!  But the reward of fresh eggs and a flock of chickens in the yard is well worth the effort.

 

More rain for tomorrow – I’ll most likely be at my desk catching up on the editorial stuff that earns me a paycheck.  I suppose the upside to all the rain and a steady string of grey days is all the inside work I get done when the sun isn’t calling to me.

I hope all is well in your world – may we all have many sunny days ahead.

 

 

 

Birds of a Feather

Allow me to  introduce you to  purple finch mama and papa bird, and their three little eggs – all sitting about five feet from me on the lantern right outside my office window as I type this post.    If I have the species wrong, feel free to correct me.  They come back every year, a sure sign that Spring has arrived, regardless of whether the weather concurs.

 

Meanwhile.. out on the back porch – the chicks look more like chickens now… and will soon be moved out to a sectioned off part of the coop I’ve arranged for them until they are full grown and can be turned out with the rest of the flock.   They are quickly growing out of their two-box condo.

This past weekend we also put our first Horse show of the season in the books – It was a cold and mostly wet windy rainy weekend but K and Miss Leah did very well with their trail patterns which are no easy feat to memorize, let alone complete,  and although they didn’t place in their other classes, they completed them without major errors and Leah was so well behaved, I just love this good minded mare.  Proud of K for learning a new discipline so quickly and enjoying the process  and her horse regardless of the placing.  That’s what it’s all about.

One of the four days we saw the sun and with it, smiles everywhere…

 

Yesterday I brought the dogs down to Stella to plant some Zinnia in the tiny cottage garden and put the trash out for pick-up.  Grass cutting didn’t happen, too wet.   After chores  we went for a long walk exploring the “island”.   Although the skies were grey, there was plenty of Spring color…

Frasier is always the first of the season to go for a swim.

Meanwhile – back at Winterfell (if you’re a GOT fan but haven’t seen it yet, turn away)…. Holy cow – Season 8 Episode 3 – Winter finally arrived! And what a murky, epic battle – what we could see of it anyway.  All my favorites are still standing (Sigh of relief!) and  still so many questions – and more to come.   All I want to say about that.. is this…

 

More grey skies for the coming week – not sure we’ve ever seen so many rainy days strung together in a row.   The following picture is of our senior boys, Max 1 and Max 2, out grazing in the pasture this morning.  Time to go bring them back in.

 

I hope all is well in your world – and thank you for stopping in …

 

 

 

Spring Chicken and the beginning of the End

One of these is a Spring Chicken, and one is definitely not.

 

This is Snow – one of her buddies, Cersei, had to be humanely euthanized due to a severe scissor beak. Which brings me to thoughts on the fate of her namesake.

 

If you’re not a GOT fan – the following will make little sense.

After the second installment, episode 2 of the final season of Game of Thrones – any GOT fans care to share their predictions? Here’s what I think…

– Dany (Khaleesi, Daeynerys)  is showing a real lust for the iron throne, and apparently will do unsavory things to get what she wants (think dragon-torching poor Sam Tarly’s dad and brother over a land dispute) Yep – she’s not as caring or kind as we once thought, now, is she. I think she dies in the end.  Although if she were actually pregnant with Jon’s baby that might be a whole new something, so perhaps they’ll keep her alive.   Cersei – well she’s been used and abused, but she’s ruthless and cruel, too…perhaps my chick Cersei’s death is an omen for hers? Jon Snow is one of the few who have always put others before himself and he has real heart and true bravery – who better to become the true King, (which he apparently is anyway). Tyrion – He’s the best character in the show if you ask me, and the jabs at his stature have been cruel throughout the series. I hope he lives, Perhaps it’s he who finally slays  the Night King, as he is  truly the most intelligent of them all. Bran seems awfully calm having just met face to face with Jaime, the man responsible for his life in a wheelchair, – has he forseen the future and the inevitable fate, as in death.. of Jaime?   Jaimie teeters between despicable and redeeming, tough call.  Perhaps Theon Greyjoy will redeem himself by piercing the Night King’s heart with Dragon glass as he loses his own life in a final act of bravery after so much miserable  conspiring, deception and sniveling.  I believe  the dragon glass to the heart of the Night King will topple all the white walkers in the end, as he is their maker. The scrappy Arya and  horribly abused but wisened, steady, now-strong Sansa – it could go either way for them.   And  the most burning question for me, anyway…… what will become of the Dragons?  One already dead and flying with the white walkers, two still bound to Dany. 

Whom I’d love to see survive? Oh please let the dragons live – and Jon Snow, Arya, Sansa, Tyrion, Sam Tarly and wife, Jorah be amongst the living. Alas, they’ve already told us many good people will die.   I’m gonna need Xanax to watch the conclusion. 

 

 

 

What’s cookin

Do you have plans for Easter weekend?  We’ve been so busy we haven’t given it much thought.  Because I’m more of a spiritual soul, this weekend isn’t typically about a religious celebration here at this old house. For me it’s a time to celebrate the renewal that comes with Spring, and spoil my now-adult kids with a basket full of “stuff” – They will still find the big chocolate bunny  and a few fluffy marshmallow peeps – and some summer clothing items and a kitchen gadget or two for their apartments, and something fun to remind them they were once my littles.

Speaking of my littles – my littlest – just celebrated his 23rd birthday – how.. did that happen?  How time flies…

Me and my guys….

My favorite “peeps” in all the world right here….

   For this weekend’s family gathering I’ll  cook a meal for whomever in the family doesn’t have other places they need to be.  On the menu for sure are a spiral ham, my very popular Martha’s Vineyard Scalloped Potatoes, given that name because we discovered the magnificently rich smokey flavor while at The Atlantic restaurant in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard.  I asked the chef to please tell me the secret to these most divine scalloped potatoes – and the answer was quick – a little chicken broth, smoked gouda and gruyere cheese, heavy cream.  Slice the potatoes super thin.   I incorporated all those tips into a basic recipe and it’s been a staple on our Easter dinner table ever since.  The rest of my meal for this weekend has yet to be sorted out.

Two recipes I’ve tried in recent weeks were a big hit, so I’ll share them here with you.  Now that I’m on a no sugar no dairy diet, not eating some of what I cook for this weekend is going to be a real challenge.  I’m not big in the Willpower department, tis just my truth.

French Onion Chicken Meatballs –  these sound weird, but trust me…. they are THE BOMB.  Give them a go – fun to make, not complicated, and so freak’n delicious.  The recipe has been shared on many sites, I’m not sure who the original is to be acknowledged.

**I double the recipe, they’re good enough that you’ll wish you did too.  This is also my photo – I served them as a dinner with no extras, they’re hearty enough. Greens of your choice  on the side would be perfect.  You can of course serve wtih bread, pasta, or tuck them in a roll for a delicious meatball sandwich. 

Ingredients

For the Carmelized Onions

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 white onions (about 2 pounds), sliced 1/4″ thick
  • 1/4 dry white wine

For the Meatballs

  • 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
  • 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Caramelize the Onions

  1. Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions (the pan will be very full). Cook the onions, stirring them occasionally, for about an hour or until they have turned a light golden-blonde colored. At this point, turn the heat to medium-low and keep cooking them, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and a deep golden brown in color, approximately 30 to 40 minutes longer.
  2. Turn the heat back to medium and pour the wine into the pan with the onions. As it simmers, scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Once the wine has cooked away transfer the onions to a clean plate.

Make the Meatballs

  1. In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, herbs, salt, pepper, and egg. Add the ground chicken and, using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix it with the breadcrumb and egg mixture just until combined.
  2. Scoop approximately one ounce of the mixture to form the meatballs. You should be able to make 16 meatballs.
  3. Once the onions are ready and you’ve removed them from the pan, add the olive oil to that same pan. Heat it over medium heat. Place the meatballs in a single layer and cook them until they are browned on all sides. Transfer them to a clean plate.

Make the Sauce

  1. In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk it with the butter until combined. Add about a 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and, whisking continuously, combine it with the butter and flour. As you whisk you should be scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
  2. Whisking continuously, add the rest of the chicken stock. Bring the pan to a boil and cook the sauce for about five minutes, or until it starts to thicken. Add the caramelized onions and stir to combine. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Add the meatballs to the sauce and continue cooking the sauce until it’s glossy and thickened about five to ten minutes.
  3. At this point, you can sprinkle the cheese over the meatballs and either cover the pan to melt the cheese or stick the pan under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Garnish the meatballs with parsley, if using.

These lemon brownies are so lemony good – a perfect dessert selection for any Easter table.   *this is not my photo – again internet grab. 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE LEMON BROWNIES:

  • 1/2 cup salted butter (softened)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon  baking powder

FOR THE GLAZE:

  • 3/4  cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • zest of 1/2 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare an 8 x 8 pan by spraying with cooking spray or lining with foil, and set aside.
  • In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the lemon juice. Add the flour and baking powder, and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean. Let lemon brownies cool for 10-15 minutes.
  • To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then pour over the brownies, spreading evenly to coat. Let lemon blondies cool completely before slicing and serving.

I hope you have an enjoyable Easter weekend  celebrating in the way that has most meaning for you –  I’m off to market once I’ve settled on the menu for the coming weekend.

Till soon –

Spring Cleaning

The water has been turned on at the cottage, septic pumped, yard manicured, gutters installed,  and Spring cleaning accomplished yesterday with the help of my mom and a pizza brought by the kids.  We’re ready for the cottage season at the shore!  If only the grey days would diminish and let the sun shine in.  Alas, this morning as I type… still fog, more rain in the forecast.

My guys have been reworking the bluestone patio, topsoil, seed and hay added in the yard, a mini vegetable garden plot has been added under the windows and new crushed shells added to the parking spot street side.

One of my favorite things about Stella is her little 1935 kitchen. Much is as it was except for the new range and a few cabinets next to it.  The sink in particular is my favorite feature. 84 years of so many dishes cleaned up in that sink after meals shared with family friends , how many babies were bathed in it, I wonder.

In the cabinet are some real treasures, at least to me.  Jadeite Fire King pieces, Corningware from days gone by – all with their own stories.  BEautiful turquoise hewed glasses  and stonewear my kids gifted me when we acquired Stella.

 

The island is waking up, too – the daffodils are in bloom in the gardens of the cottages that planted them –

And the egrets and canada geese have returned to the marshes.

(pardon the crappy phone pics) 

Now all we need is some warmer sunny weather.  This morning on the farm I gave the mini horses a clipping – my clipper blades were miserable, hence a pretty poor job and only two half-horses done –  BUT.. they will be more comfortable with less of that heavy, heavy winter coat.  There’s that! I hope it’s consolation for them.  It wouldn’t be for me.

Coady says –  Are ya kidding, mom?!

Perhaps I should rename him  Half-n-half.

Lacey suffered the same affliction.

On the health front, I’ve seen a nutrionist whom I really like – she didn’t sell me a pill or a bunch of supplements.  She has me on an anti inflammatory diet – especially no sugar, no dairy , no processed foods or very little at least- and lots of greens, salmon, cherries, blueberries, broccoli and cauliflour,  organic beef, olive oils, garlic, coconut water, etc.  It’s been four days and I have less fibro pain and lost two pounds already. No kidding.  It’s a good start.

Wishing you well on this misty Spring morning – thank you for stopping in.

 

Testing the Waters

So… here we go.  I’m here in my new “home” and I don’t know where all the appliances are going to go yet… heck, I’m not even sure how to get them in the house!  I’m not thrilled with my bland design so far, and yet I’m liking the simplicity too.  It’s only bland because I haven’t figure out how to work  with it yet, I do know there are so many options if I find the patience.

Blogger was so darn easy, I wish I didn’t have to leave my old house.  But there’s something about owning your space, the certainty of it that makes this uncharted territory navigation worth while.

      Let’s see if I can figure out a picture insert –

 Aha!  First mission accomplished.

A little background about the Cormorant – I took this picture last year when out kayaking in our cove with my good camera.  I was able to sneak up pretty close to this fellow as he was drying his wings while resting on a rock not yet covered by the incoming tide.     Cormorants are fish eaters and divers, who propel themselves with their feet and a little help from their wings. They have been known to dive as deep as 150 feet! They nest in colonies and are coastal birds rather than oceanic, found all around the world.  We often watch them fishing out in front of our little cottage, where it’s most often no deeper than six feet.  They’ll dip under the water and come up a minute or two later about 40 feet away.

Once I witnessed a cormorants dinner of a rather large eel. Took him a few minutes to swallow the whole slippery wiggling thing.  That’s when I discovered we had been swimming and muck walking and clamming among eels… and now it’s all I can think about when out there – from now on it’s high tide swimming for me.

If you’ve found me here unpacking my new space, thank you for stopping by – and leave a comment to let me know that feature is working the way it needs to.

Till soon –

 

 

Chicks, Cool finds and Artichokes

The chicks are now a few weeks old and growing some serious feathers. I’ve made their brood box bigger so they can run and jump and flap their wings.   I supplement their medicated chick starter crumbles with chopped up parsley and spinach and crushed hard boiled egg – they love the yoke in particular.  One of them has developed a scissor beak and I’m not sure she’ll make it.  When chicks hatch out of the egg they protect their head and beak with one wing over it as they claw/peck their way through – When they fail to do that they can develop an injury to the beak that becomes more evident as they mature – which is what’s happening with Cersei. Some live with the condition, some don’t.  She is the one on the bottom left corner – if you look closely at her beak, you’ll see the misalignment. 

Meanwhile.. out at the coop – the girls are getting out to free range more often now that the weather has improved, and they’re loving it.  Ruby is my friendliest hen… 

 

 
 Their favorite places to hang out around the yard are under the big pine tree at the front of the garage and the side of the garage where the dust baths are divine and the worm scratching prolific.  Hence all the mulch in disarray. 
 

 
I’ve been doing some Spring cleaning here at the farmstead, tackling a clutter issue I’ve been ignoring but annoyed by for some time.  The big window in the keeping room area that the dogs sleep under has housed my plants on a table for a while now. The problem is it blocked the light/cluttered the view, just looked like an afterthought.   Two days ago I came across a very old plant stand in an inexpensive antique store and had an aha! moment.
Before… 

 
 

After….. 

 
 The plants are now on the stand on the other side of the bar divider, in the dining table area.   They’ll  get the same light, so I’m hopeful they will be happy there.  I do need to raise my stained glass creation, but it’s a heavy piece and will need one of the menfolk to get the job done without smashing it. 

 
This recipe has been circulating facebook, and I’m definitely going to try this as a seaside supper at the cottage. Looks delish! 
 
Stuffed Artichoke bottoms with lemon and shrimp
 

 
 
 
Servings: six as a first course; two as main course.
These stuffed artichoke bottoms are impressive appetizers but also make an elegant main course for two.
 

Ingredients

For the breadcrumbs

  • 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1-1/2 cups coarse day-old breadcrumbs

For the artichokes and shrimp

  • Kosher salt
  • 6 large artichokes, trimmed down to bottoms 
  • 3/4 lb. medium (51 to 60 per lb.) shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Make the breadcrumbs

  • Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the parsley, thyme, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the breadcrumbs and increase the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring, until the breadcrumbs are golden-brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels. (The crumbs may be made up to 1 day ahead; cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Prepare the artichokes and shrimp

  • Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
     
    In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 Tbs. salt, drop the artichokes in, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Spread out on a clean cloth to cool and dry.
    Heat a 10- to 11-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, the cayenne, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Working in two batches, sear the shrimp in the hot pan, turning once, until lightly browned on the edges and opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer each batch of shrimp to a medium bowl.
    In a small saucepan, gently melt the butter over low heat. When the butter is just starting to foam, add 2 Tbs. of the chopped parsley.Let the parsley sizzle in the butter for 1 or 2 minutes and then whisk in the lemon juice. Add the butter mixture to the bowl with the shrimp and toss.
    Oil an 8×10-inch baking dish with the remaining 1/2 Tbs. oil and arrange the artichoke bottoms stem side down in the dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pile 5 to 6 shrimp in the center of each artichoke bottom, including some but not all of the butter. Top with the breadcrumbs and drizzle the remaining butter and the shrimp juices over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. parsley and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
 
One last thing before you go – I laughed out loud when I saw this one.. 
 
 
 
Till soon –
 
Karen🐤🐣