Random Friday

1.  We got a bit of rain yesterday.  Brett and I were awakened before dawn by crashing thunder and lightning flashing across the bedroom.  It was followed by rain -- and some snow at higher elevations.  Brett was stuck inside all day so when I got home from work I found the wood stove merrily creaking as it cranked out heat, and laundry washed and folded -- and put away.

2.  I made another Blue Apron dinner for dinner last night.  The theme this week has been Mexican, because of Cinco de Mayo.  We had fish tacos earlier in the week and a wonderful pozole soup last night.  Brett claims he doesn't like onions but he only complains about them when he can see them.  I should have diced the onions instead of slicing.  I thought the soup was wonderfully rich with flavor and texture (garnished with roasted pepitas, matchstick red radishes, avocado and cilantro).  Brett had a messy pile of onions pushed to one side of his bowl as he used a dinner roll to soak up the broth.

3.  Now that I've been cooking with Blue Apron for a few weeks, they've given me the opportunity to "invite" three friends to try a week of meals free.  To get the free meals, you need to enroll but you can cancel at any time easily, with no hassle.  It's also easy to skip weeks if you want a break or are going on vacation.  If you are interested in trying it, send me your email and I'll put you on the invitation list.

4.  Brett started working on a compost bin today.  First, he had to replace his wheelbarrow wheel which was harder than expected.  He drove to three shops before finding a tire that fit.  He got his trench dug for the first row, his string pulled and his supplies lined up.

5.  When I got home from work we did the evening chores and then settled in the garden with a glass of wine.  I wandered around checking all the plants while Brett sat in a chair under the oak tree, rubbing Kersey's belly.  For dinner, I made a big salad with local spring greens, strawberries, mango, beets, goat cheese and toasted pecans.  I seared a piece of Ahi and set the slices on top.  The dressing was a dab of good French Dijon, lemon juice, honey, sea salt and lemon infused olive oil from a local store.  It was a great way to start the weekend.

Random Saturday

1.  We got glorious rain last night.  The forecast said we might get half an inch, at most.  I heard the rain coming down hard during the night.  At 2am Brett said to me "Should I go out and check the sand in the arena?"  (he didn't).  This morning, he checked the rain gauge while I stood on the wet front porch.  "How much did we get?" I called over to him.
"Guess"
"Half an inch"
"Guess again."
"Point seven."
"Guess again."
"One point two"
"We got two inches.  Exactly."
Yes!  ...and the rain will continue this morning.

2.  Yesterday when I pulled up the driveway after work, I noticed a big bird walking around in front of the house.  I assumed it was a Canada goose.  But, no, it was the wild turkey who has been hanging around the back of the property lately.  I love living where I have to stop on the road for deer, where the Canada geese are so used to our presence in the pastures that they don't move when we walk by with the muck cart.

3.  I was in bed early last night; the culmination of two long weeks at work and sadness.  Sadness for my blogging friend, Inger, who lost her husband to complications following a liver transplant.  He was only 69 and a good man, a strong man.  And Buttons who lost her mother.  I've been carrying Buttons and Inger in my heart.  I know that Button's loss brought back the loss of my mom, a year ago.  And Inger's husband reminded me so much of Brett -- the bond they shared and the hard work he did on their property -- his death tapped into my greatest fear; losing Brett.

4.  Rest is right around the corner, though.  Brett and I will be on our way to Alisal tomorrow morning for a few days of resting, riding, eating and just being.  This vacation always feels more like a retreat to us; it recharges our batteries.  I've loaded my Kindle, and am packing my colored pencils as well as my riding helmet.

5.  I made the second of our Blue Apron dinners Thursday night.  It was a pork ramen dish with pea tips and roasted garlic.  My knick-knack bag included two cute little bottles; one of soy sauce and one of Mirin.  For me, this is an economical way to make gourmet type recipes.  On my own, heaven knows where I would have found pea tips and I would have had to purchase an entire bottle of Mirin.  Our dinners through Blue Apron cost less than it would for me buying the ingredients on my own.  And then the Mirin would just sit, unused, in my pantry.  For me this is an economical way to go.  Tasty too.  There was plenty of food.  I couldn't finish my portion and Brett was too full to finish it for me.  The chickens loved the ramen the next morning (the noodles look like worms).

Working Woman's Weeknight Dinner

One of the women I work with is an avid cook.  We like the same kind of food (spicy) and enjoy challenging recipes.  We both struggle with weeknights, though.  After work it's hard to find the energy to cook a good meal.  At our house, we have a lot of "get your own" or dinner at the roadhouse down the lane.  So, when she told me she was using Blue Apron for her weeknight dinners -- and loving it -- I was intrigued.  She had a free batch of dinners (three dinners) she could give to a friend and asked if I was interested.  If I didn't like it, I could cancel after my free week.  I checked out the website and liked what I saw -- fresh, locally sourced food (although it is available across the US, I think) from small farms.  And interesting recipes.  Sure, I said, send me the one week free invitation.

Our box of dinners arrived in the mail today.  The packaging was thorough -- meat and fish on the bottom wrapped in ice, with the veggies on top.

There were little bags of spices, butter and nuts -- "knick knacks."

Dinner tonight was Almond-Crusted Cod on a bed of Quinoa, mint and sauteed radishes with sugar snap peas.  Sounds kind of weird, right?

It was fun -- all the shopping done for me, all the ingredients ready to be prepped, and great instructions.

Everything cooked up perfect.

And it tasted insanely good.

I'm hooked.  I'll let you know how the other two meals go.