July Celebrations

For Independence Day, Elizabeth made her first ever pavlova. 

A patriotic pavlova. 

Happy chickens. 

"Do you have any blackberries for me?" 

Close on the heels of the Fourth of July, is the Eighth of July, a.k.a. Matthew's birthday. 

  Happy twenty-seventh birthday, Matthew! 

One big chocolate-chip cookie. 

And last but not least, our new patio room, Tiki Cove. 

Complete with Tiki torches. 

And mood lighting. Beautiful July.

The Refrigerator has Moved!

Some time ago, it was unanimously decided that the new refrigerator was too big and bulky for our little kitchen, (not to mention too noisy. When the ice maker kicks on it sounds like Buzz Lightyear is in there shooting a ray gun! Trip to Disneyland anyone?)

So a week or so ago we finally moved it out of the kitchen and into the pantry. That may sound weird having the refrigerator on the other end of the house as the kitchen, but it actually works really well, if you don't mind walking when you forget to grab the pickles for the tuna salad.

Then yesterday Mom finished putting all the spices, temporarily being stored in her bedroom, in the rest of the pantry space.

All in all, a happy pantry and kitchen makes a happy home and family.

Day 8

http://hbpsociety.blogspot.com/2014/03/teatime-snacks.html

Leftover Soup

Sweet serendipity is following delicious smells downstairs and finding a warm, tasty soup waiting for you. For lunch today, my Mom put together a soup without a recipe; just a hodgepodge of leftovers from the night before: bits of chicken, broccoli, mushrooms with a fancy French name I can't recall, cheddar cheese, etc. It was warm and nourishing, and filled me up inside in the most pleasant way. It was a soup that can never be duplicated in quite the same way. It will be new each time it is made.

I am still working on cultivating an enjoyment for cooking. I love to eat, but I would rather just make a piece of toast for myself than a satisfying soup. But sometimes toast isn't enough. Sometimes I need a bowl of hot soup, or a roast chicken with mashed potatoes. Alongside Pride and Prejudice, I am also reading My Life in France by Julia Child, seeking the inspiration to really be a part of the culinary world. So far it's not really working, although it is a fun book to read. I would just rather read a book or knit a sweater than prepare a meal. I guess we can't be good at everything.

A Day in Town

Yesterday our friend Mayu, the daughter of a dear friend in Japan, arrived to spend spring break with us. Spring is upon us and the days are steadily growing longer and warmer, perfect for spending time outdoors. Today Rachel, Mayu, and I helped Elizabeth plant peas, red lettuce, and kale in her vegetable garden, and later in the afternoon Mom took us three younger girls into town and we showed Mayu Grass Valley.

We ventured into this gem for the first time.

What a treat!

We even saw some familiar faces!

Decisions, decisions. There were so many flavors of ice cream, gelato, and sorbet to choose from! 

Mayu, Rachel, and I enjoying our ice cream.

Rachel always gets the same flavor whenever we go out for ice cream: mint chocolate chip.

Mom's Death by Dark Chocolate gelato was even dark enough for her. That's dark!

I himmed and hawed and finally decided on some caramel nut ice cream. Yum! 

We all agreed Lazy Dog Ice Cream and Chocolateria was a place to come back to when we have the need for something sweet.

After refreshments, we did some more shopping. 

One of Mom's favorite shops.

After all this walking, shopping, and testing of ice cream shops, I'm exhausted! I need a cup of tea.

Adventuresome Food

Our family loves food. All kinds of food: Mexican and Italian are two favorites; French food is always delicious, n'est pas? And we've recently discovered how much we like Japanese food.

We do more than just eat food, we experiment with it. My Mom calls her kitchen her laboratory, and she is always reminding me that cooking is science and chemistry you can eat. For Lent she's decided to give up cooking with white sugar, so lately we've all been eager guinea pigs to her experiments in making deserts without any white sugar, using coconut crystals instead. She's even making her own chocolate with those coconut crystals instead of sugar, and a darker chocolate I have never tasted! It could scare the milk out of milk chocolate! We all like dark chocolate much better than milk (plus dark is healthier), but my Dad and I share a slight allergy to dark chocolate too. It makes us sneeze! It's become a family joke that we can always tell when chocolate is really good and dark by how hard Dad and I sneeze! However it does not stop either of us from eating whatever chocolatey delicacy comes out of "The Dark Forest," as my Mom calls her kitchen now.   

But Mom's not the only one adventuresome with food. When Elizabeth first tasted sushi she fell in love with it, and one of her New Year's resolutions was to learn to make this fresh, exotic food. It turned out to be surprisingly easy, and though what she makes is humbler in flavors than what we get at the local Japanese restaurant it is simply delicious. Plus we eat it in the comfortable environment of our own dining room and can come to a sushi dinner in pajamas if we want to.

Yesterday we celebrated Mardi Gras with good Southern cooking: dirty rice, steamed vegetables, and the sweetest of oven fried sweet potatoes. The South sure knows how to celebrate Fat Tuesday!

For desert Elizabeth did another culinary experiment: Princess Tiana's famous, "man catchin'" beignets. Dusted with powdered sugar they were the bees knees. (Where did that silly term originate?) Beignets are described as being like donuts but I actually thought they tasted more like pancakes than donuts. They're not very sweet, rather bread-like.

 

 I love good food but I'm actually not much of a cook. Hence I'm very grateful to be in a family with others who take more pleasure than I in the science and art of cooking. 

For dinner tonight, Mom's three-cheese lasagne. (Want to know the secret ingredient? Homemade goat cheese from local, raw goat's milk. Yes, my Mom even makes her own cheese!)