Monday, July 22, 2024

Food and winnowing and breaking news

 On Saturday, I improved my surroundings by winnowing paperwork. At first I thought I'd do files but realized the thing that was annoying me was the overstuffed binder of recipes. It was so full I had trouble finding what I wanted, so that's the sort of task that rewards effort.


Packed with handwritten scraps, pieces from newspapers and old cookbooks, and a metric ton of recipes from my cookbook book club.
 
I took out and reorganized, found some good ideas I'd forgotten, and recycled a lot of pages I'll never use, or tried and didn't need to make again.

The winnowings. Now I have a useful binder and won't be annoyed ahead of searching for a recipe again.

After all this big talk about fancy recipes, I ended up making 



Plums and custard. No need for any directions, it makes itself. The coloring comes from turmeric, great spice, because I don't like food coloring in those little containers.

While I was on a roll I made mayo. Then boiled a couple of eggs, for egg salad. I fancied it up a bit this time, with minced red onion, scallions and fresh chives.

So Sunday lunch looked like this 

Out early Sunday I found a an actual flower, finally 

There are buds all over the zinnias now, so soon there's going to be picking.

Meanwhile out front the pickings though slim, are good. The little blue wildflower, can't remember the name, has started rooting itself in the water.


I finally got around to repotting the ponytail palm, three big ones crowded in one pot. Hot work, I ended up sawing them apart. 

One broke off so the root is in a pot outside and I've set the foliage up in water and we'll see.

The other two are now in a pot each, rather inexpertly done, but it was hot on the deck and it was the best I could do. I'm hoping they'll thrive. Nobody will disturb them, so they have a chance to get settled. At least that's the plan.

And Sunday I texted a message of support to Joe and Kamala. Anyone can 

I have among my phone contacts Joe Biden, White House!!

Ed update: since I wrote this, Biden has left the ticket and endorsed Harris. I texted to say thank you for everything and I'll support the blue ticket. Go Kamala!  Rollercoaster day.

GO KAMALA!   She's already got the endorsements of two presidents, the ufw, many state parties, and she's starting to amass delegates. And massive fund raising via Act Blue in just the few hours since Biden's heroic announcement. She'll have a rough time with media, so smart people are continuing to be very selective in where they get news. Not the mass media.

Happy day everyone, anyway, oh and it was cool enough to get to the mailbox and I found my very useful Senior Freeze, property tax refund, waiting. It's now deposited, thank you, Mr NJ Treasurer.

This freeze on raises in property tax, my housecleaners and good neighbors all keep me going in my home, yay them.



    GO KAMALA! 



25 comments:

  1. May the pony tail palms and Kamala Harris... and Joe Biden and the USA thrive!

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    1. I think we're all in survival mode at this point.

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  2. From winnowing recipes to hoping the US can finally elect a woman for president - that is quite some blog post today. You inspire me to further winnow recipes - I have two folders the one I use and the one for stuff I might try. Lots of things with sugar are never going to get tried now so they might as well go.

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    1. Yes, the news caught up with me there. So many recipes are aspirational, and they may as well be recycled. Also I get great ideas from Yeung Man Cooking and Spain on a Fork on YouTube, no paper!

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  3. To use old fashioned wording, Kamala is one smart and classy dame. I don't think there could be a better choice.
    I like that you take care to present your food, even if no one sees it....well, your readers do.

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    1. I'm all in for Kamala. It will be a lot of work, but now who's got an old has been running, huh?
      Even if I didn't take pictures, I'd still present my food for myself. It keeps up my interest as my appetite wanes. But it's nice that blogistas enjoy the presentation.

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  4. Is the US ready for a woman president and a black woman at that? Many pundits fear it is not. Time will tell. I'd like to see it happen.

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  5. My recipe binder is very very thin. 😊
    Go Kamala! 👍

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  6. A big news day yesterday, that's for sure. And more to come!

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  7. That was a lot of work to separate and repot those palms! Good for you, Liz.
    And hurray for that sweet little marigold.

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    1. Oddly enough my hip that hurts felt much better after lugging all those pots and soil and sawing and sweeping!

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  8. I should do that with my recipe collection too. Oh plums and custard, delicious!
    Interesting turn-up for American politics. It would be brilliant if VP Harris won.

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    1. Our politics have a lot of effect abroad too. To me there's no if! As long as she gets the nomination.

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  9. You have been busy! I think the news we got yesterday has put new life in the party. Hopefully this will be a smooth transition so she can continue with the task at hand.

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    1. Let's hope so. I'm using what little power I have to help that.

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  10. Joe and Kamala dominated the news cycle here. The world is holding its breath.

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    1. Good to encourage your own pols to come out in support if possible.

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  11. I heard the news and was filled with hope.
    Your very good with the winnowing. I have to go through my wardrobe and do the same.

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    1. I think a lot of people have renewed hope and energy. I know I do.

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  12. RC and I went through his recipe collection not too long ago too and winnowed it down to the things that he actually makes on the regular. There's not point in hanging onto three recipes for virtually the same thing so out the extras went. He also went through the pile of 'want to try - maybe' ones and recycled more than half.
    So relieved to hear that Biden did decide to step aside. Now there's hope if people just get out and vote.

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    1. I'm doing my bit to get out the vote. I hope our readers from other countries will be our emotional support folks!

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