The new Boud. Just like the old Boud

Saturday I was reminded about granola, which I haven't made for ages. So I did.

And here's the airtight container, where it just fits.  Walnuts, almonds, dried cranberries, cinnamon, seasalt, oats, agave syrup, honey.

I like this as a cereal with milk, or a snack. I keep the clumps intact to make it finger food.

Then Sunday I found a couple of ideas,  originally going to make an olive tapenade to go with a potato dish. Then I decided to just add the olives in with the onions, garlic and potatoes. All sauteed in olive oil, then an egg broken over.

Here it's served with spinach and cooked carrots. The drink you see is great.

It's a turmeric lime ginger cordial 

Some of those limes you saw recently, and that fresh ginger, with the last of the great Tellicherry black peppercorns, go into the mixture which you blend then strain. 

You can add club soda, but I didn't have any. It occurs to me that for people who like spirits, this might be a nice cocktail with gin or vodka. For me it was good just chilled and still.  There's more for tomorrow.

Wednesday is the official birthday celebration, which will consist of Handsome Son cooking lunch here, probably some chicken garlic and crusty roll combo, then we'll get out the box of Christmas stuff to strew around. Between his cooking and the decorating, the place will look like a warzone.  Fun times.

Meanwhile on birthday evening, Gary and another friend brought over a chocolate cake to share, and at the end of their visit, left me with a couple more slices.

I have started a pair of gloves using the right size crochet hook. What a difference. 

My hand is fine. Just shows it's a Good Thing to use the right tools where possible. This from a person who once replaced all the chains in the downstairs double hung, very heavy old,  windows at the old house using only a steak knife. No tools available, long story.

The jigsaw puzzle is still on the table from Thanksgiving, so I may give up on it. It's nice but not gripping.  Then the table will be free to put a cloth on.

Happy day everyone! Thank you for all your wishes and messages, they were great to read and enjoy.

Fast food and Valentine's cookies

 Yesterday's local police chief's posting

And this morning's view from the bedroom

Yesterday I found a great fast food lunch idea. Yellow potatoes, microwaved to tender, diced, fried in avocado oil with cumin and kosher salt, in separate pan minced garlic and parsley

tossed together with the crisp browned potatoes, egg fried in the garlic pan

and put on top

spicy and interesting, definitely worth doing. It has an exotic name which escapes me.

Then, since Valentine's day is nearly on us, chocolate cookies happened.

Some with walnuts, some without. Neighbors are getting to share these, and the little boy next door has a nut allergy.

And here's a feast of white work, good to see on a snowy day, exquisite work from Yolanda in Provence

The sparrow below is Nuggie, thrown out of the nest to die because of his deformed feet, found on the sidewalk looking like a tiny pink chicken nugget.  He was brought in to be hand reared and now brightens the days of a costume designer struggling with severe long covid and a disastrous loss of income. Nuggie, with his big personality, has his own online fans who keep him supplied with food.

 And he supplies hope to his humans. 

I thought you might like to know his story because we all have days like this comic

Happy day everyone, use your cloak to suit your mood! 

Today's an at home, no knitting group snow day, probably featuring laundry and chickpea pancakes, it being Pancake Tuesday.