Baked frittata or something

This was partly an attempt to insert vegetables into a day of fruit and cookies (meeting) and almonds. It's also an experiment that might be part of the next dinner I invite Handsome Son to.

Two eggs, shake of potato flakes, handful of carrot dice and green peas, milk, salt, grated cheddar, grated Parmesan, turmeric, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, shake of cumin. All whisked together.

Cast-iron pan went into oven to heat along with the oven, then the frittata poured into the hot pan,  baked at 375f for ten minutes. It was good. A wedge will be tomorrow's breakfast.

With soup to start, hot Italian sausage beside, banana apple ginger cake for dessert, will be pretty good for a dinner. Also new to him. I always like a bit of variety, though HS doesn't mind either way.

Breakfast in bed, celebrating me!

Banana apple ginger bread, warmed and buttered, pot of tea, thank you.

Note about the raspberry jam I shared with a neighbor -- he told me he's trying to make it last by alternating with shop bought jam! I think he's hinting I should make more.

Chili, chives and Cooper's hawk

Easy chili for lunch, from the freezer, and the first cutting of chives. They're the strongest tasting when they're early.

Checked on the mini greenhouse while I was out in search of chives, and the seedlings are starting to look like lettuce, little sawtooth leaves

Few minutes later, a Cooper's hawk settled in the tree nearby. No time for a pic. He groomed his feathers all blown about, brisk winds today, then left.

Raspberry jam for tea

Sudden need to have a bit of jam for tea. So, couple of handfuls of frozen raspberries, shake of sugar, blip of lemon juice, boil madly, little supply ready. Enough for a couple of teas.

The little jar is for a friend I promised some to, the next time I made jam. That was months ago, and I finally came through. He will have forgotten all about it and be surprised.

This all took about the time to boil the kettle. Jam can be very quick and spontaneous.

I was doing a matinee of Forsyte Saga, so the old fashioned jam and scones, with English Breakfast tea, fitted right in.

It's like having a part time job, watching the Forsytes. Several evenings went into the earliest production from the sixties, where the character actors who played the older family were worth watching, though the principals weren't.

How stiffly actors moved then, with all the wildly gyrating gestures meant to convey youth and energy. Except that Margaret Tyzack was wonderful as Winifred.

The later production from the 90s, I think,   I'm watching now is much less florid and more powerful. The older family members are overshadowed by the principals' acting.

Interesting to see which episodes from the original novel(s) are kept and which not, in the two versions.  It doesn't matter that the early one was black and white and the later one color, oddly. It's all about the acting.

Pi Day, 3.14

Spindle spinners celebrate Pi Day!

Lucy Worsley, recommended reading

Her latest, seen here with a handwoven bookmark. Stick weaving, done as a demo for a summer class I taught township kids, if you're interested, where was I.

Oh yes, she's an excellent historian and researcher, and writes exactly like her tv scripts, accurate, readable and funny.

She also points out which events and actions, originated with Victoria, have come down to the present day. White wedding dresses, public events, balcony appearances, photoshopping, Victorian style, of unflattering pix of royals.

Well worth your time if you like the nineteenth century, its quirks and foibles, as well as its history.

I'm a Worsley fan, any period of time. She shows how to be a fine scholar and researcher without being self important. And she's not above dressing the part, and having fun at work, a big point.

There has to be a better name than fish stew for this lovely food

It involves fish-- I used flounder-- potatoes, onions,carrots, anchovy paste, thyme,garlic, a bouquet garni of herbs from the freezer -- oregano, basil, curry leaves-- chicken bones, tomatoes, tomato paste. Some water and some of the pectin I made a while back.

Two Views of Mt. Counter

I blended it before the fish went in. After I fished (!) out the chicken bones and bouquet garni.

This bouquet thing sounds posh, but it's only a bundle of herbs bunged into cheesecloth and tied up. I don't know why chefs make a song and dance about it.

This dish takes a few stages, first the onions and thyme, and the carrots should have gone in then but unaccountably stayed on the counter, and got in later.

Then the garlic, anchovy paste since i didn't have anchovies, to cook till it smells great. Then  the potatoes, toms, water, all to cook tender. That's where I blended. Finally the fish, which takes only a few minutes.

Wait, I think it's a chowder. That's better.

It's good, too. The only drawback is that I couldn't spin while I cooked, that being the current reason for getting up in the morning.

Tiny greenhouse update

This morning, temp 30f, and the baby greens are coming through bravely. I just took off the top of the greenhouse for a minute to show you.

And the chives, unprotected, emerging year after year, undeterred by a bit of moss.

It doesn't feel like spring, but the plants only care about the light. They scoff at cold.

I should try that.

Shrove Tuesday, aka pancake Tuesday

Just under the wire. Remembered at 5pm, here's dinner at 5.15.

Drizzle of honey, then nice thin pancakes, more like crepes. Just the classic mix of flour, milk, melted butter, salt, pinch of sugar.

And more for tomorrow's breakfast.

Me, I laugh at the snow

After I finish being annoyed.  Was looking forward to seeing stitcher friends this afternoon, but a large snowstorm is scheduled to start, and I don't fancy driving home in it. 

So I will stay home,and later kick myself when yet again the storm veers off and misses us.

Meanwhile, lunch. Toasted home baked whole-wheat, spread with yogurt cheese, boiled egg broken over, scatter of capers. Gala apple dessert. 

I made the yogurt cheese from a container of whole milk yogurt, and saved some of the container to use as a starter for a homemade batch of yogurt. Last night I remembered to do it.

I now have a quart or more of it. Ages since I made yogurt, and this way I avoid bringing yet more plastic containers home.

It's not hard to do, it's remembering that's the issue.

So now I have a supply of yogurt and can use some of it to make yogurt cheese.

Medieval sort of day

Today was all about spinning, tapestry-weaving and bread baking.

I felt like one of those medieval women with a bunch of keys at their belt, and a pointy hat with a veil on the end.

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For more on the fiber action, go to https://beautifulmetaphor.blogspot

Watching Versailles tonight, to get up on the latest news..

White Rabbits! Happy St David's Day!

First of the month means fresh flowers, seen here, with a little white chrysanthemum from February still going.

I saved the daffodils for later, but they would be appropriate for the day. Along with leeks, but they're not as scenic.