ZEKs LITE

Photos from Prague

Oh my, the catch-up week is longer than expected.  But finally I have some photos.

We had a fantastic time in Prague!

We had the best hosts.  B and P greeted us with beer cheese (mash the stinky cheese with onions, paprika, beer and I don't know what else) and took us on wonderful walks, showed us sights. 

Little O, who turned two while we were there, was a very good traveller.  He told us what was safe to eat and what wasn't.  "Don't eat dog poo!!!"

In the neighborhood, we visited the grocery store (where Whip Man presides, apparently) and the local farmer's market, where you can get wonderful pastries, chickens that haven't been bread to absurd proportions, and fantastic salami. 

B can pack a lot in that stroller.  Groceries, extra clothes, a bicycle... everything except little O.

Knitters, pay attention to that bowl of eggs on the left.  Wire mesh knit around the eggs!

More to come, day by day.

Weekend Christmas

We had an early gift-opening time at our house, then hit the road to see the northerly relatives for the holiday.

We stopped at the Italian deli for some treats that are harder to find in our neighborhood.

Z got to help Aunt Toots finish up the cookies.

I got a little bit of knitting done.

She has some special memorabilia around her house, like these teddy bears my mother made when I was a kid.

When we first discovered the patterns for these teddy bears, there was a bear-making frenzy that seemed to last for years.

Christmas day it was over to the cousins for a lot of eating and silly games; Z was attacked by five little cousins and finally got to eat at the big people's table.

Every traditional treat was on the dessert table and we all ate way too much.  E has already charted his recovery plan; we'll be taking lots of walks in the coming weeks.

The day was a whirlwind, as always, that leaves us tired but glad to have spent it with family.

Our kitties were happy to have us home.  A happy kindness greeted
us -- our neighbor had brought in our Monday morning trash bins and newspaper so we wouldn't appear to be away.

I'm looking forward to the morning wake-up walk, greeting the dogs and their walkers.

Happy Unstoppable Super-Cute Bigger-than-life Thanksgiving!

Yesterday was Turkey Day, and for the first time, I was on the ball.  Mother did not freak out or throw anything.  The parts of the meal were on time and fully cooked.  This may be a one-time event!  It helps that there were fewer parts.  Our guests brought the salads, sweet potatoes, and wonderful See's turkeys.

I had time to watch the Macy's Parade. 

E was watching and keeping a record of hyperbolic introductions to the various floats.  He composed this list, which he reads in a much more connected manner so that it sounds like one big long crazy introduction:

Famed
Towering talent
Singing sensation
Bigger than life
Award-winning international superstar
5-time Grammy-winning
On an unstoppable roll
Stunning
Amazing
Legendary
A national treasure
The world's favorite goodwill ambassador
The adored and coveted international and national superstar
Super-cute gigantic
Cupcake-like pastel ambassadors
Show-stopping showboat

I'm so happy with my turkey! I couldn't bear to open it.  I ate someone else's...

Climate change

Fall dropped upon us from above.  I think we'll get a colorful one, given all the recent rain.  As colorful as these stuffed peppers.

I'm not used to wearing long pants.  I found my socks.  The air conditioner doesn't come on anymore and I have a weird sluggish feeling...
I think I'm cold. 

Or caught a passing bug.  Ragweed.  Now I remember... this is the time of year that my head slips into a fog of Benedryl and sniffling nights. 

I'm learning to walk in my sleep.

Storm Cookin'

I'm getting ready for Irene--cooking like crazy.  Yesterday it was a peach custard pie.  Today, a plum galette, muffins, and a huge frittata. 

We don't expect the storm to be too bad for us.  But we do expect to lose power for a couple days.  So we'll have to do a lot of eating, to save the food in the fridge.  And to pass the time.

Also we'll have to burn a lot of candles in the evening.  You'd think we'd miss the internet, the electricity, the cordless phone.  But no--I always miss the light.  I don't mind eating trail mix and taking cold showers, so long as I can see to knit.

Eat, Petey, Eat!

Peter, Peter, corncob eater...

E snapped this photo when we were being those sort of cat-parents who talk cutie-pie to their pet. 

Disgusting.

Lately I try and try to get this nauseous bony boy to eat.  And to keep the food he eats inside him long enough to be digested.  I feed him the meaty bits off the chicken carcass after making broth, the choped and fried-up giblets, bits of potato, and yes, corn cob.  It's like a little project for him to do.

And what do I get for all my labors?  A whiney cat that begs for food at every opportunity and whenever I am in the kitchen.

More South, some birthday

Here are a few more pictures of recent events.

It was necessary to stop at South of the Border, with its immense tacky displays.  But once was enough.

As usual, we did our share of eating, including Paula Deen's restaurant in Savannah.

Z loved the Rolls Royce at the Dali museum, with the mermaid in the back seat.  We peeked at the home of Flannery O'Connor in Savannah, and her church, St. John the Baptist.

The Dali Museum really needs to be seen from both inside and out.

Our nature hike wasn't all horrible huge bugs; we did see this magic purple mushroom, and some interesting signage.

Z got some tutorials from Me-Mom; how to crochet a worm...

and how to bake a pie.  I finished a pair of socks.

We ate some gelato and Z photographed interesting bicycles.

When we got home, we had a little bit of birthday.  Sweet Z made me a cheesy berry pie-thing, and she painted my toes.  Later we'll have an indoor picnic with friends (the outdoors being too stinking hot).

My gift to myself was the completion of a secret goal:  I'm 41, and I can run.*  Five miles! 

Thank you, Z for this fun card!

*On the treadmill.  On the ground it's less.  But it's progress!

Masa boats

Lately we like assembly dinners.  That's where I put many little bowls on the table and we make ourselves some treats.

Salsa, guacamole, sausage, beans, cilantro, sour cream... all the works go onto these little fried masa boats.

Sitting in the sun

Black Ankle Winery on a sunny Saturday.  This is a place with water-free landscaping that reminds me of central Oregon, gardens on the rooftops, and a stony picnic area.  We had some wine, bread, cheese, fruit... and a visit from a good friend to take the picture for us.

Z does not drink wine, of course, but we brought some sparkling cranberry juice along, so everyone could have a festive beverage.

Last day of the Guild year

The Fiber Arts Guild had its last day of the year, until we start up again in September.

The study groups presented their work.  For ours, I put together a slide show and we displayed our projects.  We volunteered one of our gals to speak for us (that's what happens to people who miss a meeting).

I'm always interested in what people are making.  The felters were amazing this year.  Some of the nuno stuff was especially good but my photos weren't.

Now for the summer in which I have no design plans, just knitting and maybe a little travel.  And exercise.  Summer of fitness, here we come.  Especially after looking at all these goodies.

Weekend in PA

Thanks to the magic of canned posts, I seemed to be home on Saturday.  But we were actually several hours north. We stayed at the Toots Hotel (Aunt J).

It was the tradtitional Memorial Day Weekend picnic.  We saw a
T-ball game and ate burgers (except cousin R, who only eats potatoes--here they are). 

There were Jello flags, hearts and some other shape that represented Memorial Day.  It made for a colorful plate. 

There were salads that were mainly composed of sour cream, cream cheese and bacon, with some peas and iceberg lettuce thrown in for fiber.  And lots of watermelon. 

Z got worn out with over eight hours of playing with little kidlets.  She has a post about it on her blog.  E got the thrill of reading magazines and newspapers in someone else's house.  He really does like that -- simple pleasures!

I got to relax in the swing a bit.

Chips and Dips for Dinner

The other night E and I had a very special dinner.  Fresh-made guacamole, chips, and beer.  It was one of our best dinners ever. 

Z was out strolling with a friend so she missed it and had to reheat some leftovers, but we thought we were having a romantic treat.

We've got fiber, yes we do...

Mango Salsa, rice & beans!  Today is fiber day.

April, the mango month, has ended.  But we're still eating mangos.

The fun's not over yet!

Oh, there are still things to decorate.  This time we can eat them!

Z took a nap this afternoon, so she feels a little better.  She looked simply smashing at church in her Sunday best, which I forgot to photograph.  We'll see it again in two weeks for her friend's Bat Mitzvah.

Here are some of our offerings to this evening's dinner at the neighbor's.

The last one here reminds me of Bunnicula.

Balance

Yin and Yang in the meatloaf and potatoes.  Ahh.

Balance is on my mind.

First there is my own time management and fixation issues.  Way out of balance.  While E observes Lent by letting drivers merge and not reading any more news than he has to (he's got a newsy job and doesn't need to do more at home), mine has been to deal with some issues of balance.  I fixate, and must learn to put. things. down.  Let. things. go.

Meanwhile, the Design group I'm in is also exploring balance.  So when some much-loved-and-missed Oregon friends dropped in on us today (visiting family in the area) I got a chance to have Art Night with the Ladies.  It was really good to play with R & M at the messy table.

This is the messy table where we glued, sewed, cut, collaged, and I discovered Balance.

Among the papers and fabric (thank you again, H!) were piles of old photo prints.  I happened to have three photos of an art project Z did earlier this year.  Her project was surrealism.  I made it a triptych.

It's just practice.  And don't look closely at the construction.  Can you see that I was working on balance? 

It's not perfect, but it will definitely give the guild ladies something to discuss.

Here is how they look arranged horizontally.

Big Hunk o' Love

Yesterday we got the funniest and tastiest and heaviest package in the mail.  Thank you SB and MB for conspiring to feed us foods we've missed!

So the timer is set:  March 11 we opened the first brick of Oregon Tillamook cheddar.  Let's see how long it takes us to get through both!

We also got henna for our hair, which we might try this weekend if we get brave.

This is where we walked, this is what we ate

We live in the DC metro, and most folks who come to visit want to see historical sites, museums, monuments and so forth.  Mom has seen all that.  She wants to play Scrabble (she got at least two bingos this week) and talk, walk, eat, sew, cook and maybe go out once or twice but mostly talk.  Ellicott City, with its cute shops and lovely alleys on the hillside, was as far as we ventured while she was here.

The brewery in Ellicott City had some of the best beers we've had out here.  Back home we had pizza and black bean soup and a fabulous pork loin with apples in a wine sauce, roasted peppers and potatoes and asparagus (much more appetizing than this picture).  Also we ate up a casserole dish of cheesy pasta and leftover chicken noodle soup.  And there was a large bowl of fresh guacamole that got consumed in I think 15 minutes.  Plus four pounds of strawberries, half a bag of apples, four quarts of yogurt, two bunches of bananas and two bottles of wine.  So we did well.

Oh, and fudge.  I ate lots of Mom's fudge.

Turkey Day

With some advance planning and good pacing, I didn't get cranky getting ready for Turkey Day.  I didn't Frenzy.  Hooray for me! 

Z set the table and E helped clean up.  He even took a picture or two.  Hooray for Z and E!

We tried something new with friends who missed out on our previous gingerbreading.  Three-dimensional turkey art.  The pattern could use some tweaking...

But they didn't fall apart.

The tails lend themselves to mandala patterns. Great fun.

Pizza dinner

Here's an experiment: 
Can E eat pizza? 

Up until now I've been feeding him salad in his soup, low fat and all that.  Doctor's orders.
The answer: Yes he can (eat pizza)!  A little bit of fat is OK.

We had friends over last night for dinner.  So far no ill effects from the mozzarella cheese. 

Perhaps what the surgeon said is true: humans don't really need a gallbladder.

Pete, Pete, you don't know what is safe to eat

He cannot be trusted.  Twice he stole gingerbread cookies off the table.  And recently, pumpkin seeds.  First it was the kind in the shell, that I had toasted and salted.  He vomited profusely.  Next it was the raw seeds alone, from the store.  He vomited profusely.  He does not make any connection between the seeds he eats and the seeds he vomits.

Lately he hunches on the kitchen floor in the "meatloaf" position, which is what he does when his tummy hurts.  I have been watering down his wet cat food in order to rehydrate him.

Candy candy candy!

Yesterday afternoon we decorated gingerbread houses with a few of Z's friends.  First they were fed with grilled cheese sandwiches and fruit.

I only made four houses this year; Ma was pooped I guess.  I'm enjoying the season but can't seem to get all the decorations out.  But at least we could get the candy out!

R-rated pet food dish

Z's not allowed to put this one on her blog, even though it's her doing and she was with me when we laughed so hard about it.

Well, it's not entirely her doing.  I'm the one with the straying imagination.

Z made a lovely pet food bowl at a pottery shop some time ago, with the cats' names on them.  She dabbed at the writing a bit, making it swirled and globbed in an artsy way.

Last night while Pete happily ate out of the R-rated bowl (click link to see), I interpreted Fuzzy's written name completely differently.  Poor Pete--the indignity of it!  What do the folks at the pottery shop think of us?  What kind of family would name their cat this awful word?  For the evening, we substituted the first letter with a B and called him Bucky.

Buckwheat cakes, West Virginia water

We spent the weekend in West Virginia with Granddad.  The annual Preston County Buckwheat Festival was as fun as ever.

We ate our cakes at the Kingwood firehall this year.  I dumped apple sauce on mine.  Z went for the syrup.

We looked at all the goods on display.

We felt compelled to purchase a sock monkey for our Halloween decorations.

 

The mini-cucumbers were our favorite oddity.

The whiskey and hot sauce bottles turned into lamps with sports teams and Elvis were interesting too.  

I always enjoy the weird art at the midway.  We topped off the day with peach moonshine.  Where Granddad gets it, we will never know, but he says he has his sources.  It comes in a mason jar, just like it should.  Yum.

All in all, a lovely fall getaway! 
  

Fish from the test kitchen

I signed up for the online version of Cooks Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen.  Yesterday, I attempted fish.  My previous fish-cooking has been seldom and so-so. 

I know what to do with a fresh flopping trout-- I can clean it, rub butter, dill and lemon on it and bake it in foil.  Shopping for fresh fish is intimidating.  So I tried flash-frozen Trader Joes wild Alaskan cod to start. 

After seeing the TV version, I followed the online instructions.  What do you know--we ate fish, breaded and baked.

We used our fish plates given by Dad, many years ago.

The less said the better

Z drew this comic based on recent household events.

Share of a share

Our neighbor participates in a CSA -- Community Supported Agriculture, a farm share.  Turned out she's receiving more than her family can eat, so we bought into half her share. 

I am excited and hope to do it again next year -- the peaches taste better than any I can get at the store, I don't have to go to the farmer's market, everything is delicious.  It's delivered right to our neighborhood.

We are getting our share of fiber and vitamins!  We are also receiving fresh eggs and recipes to go with the produce.

Saying all the goodbyes (end of the vacation)

And then it was time to go.  We had to say goodbye to Oscar, and his parents and grandfolks.

Goodbye to cute little toes...

Getting creative together in the kitchen and at the table...

Farewell to the orchard and the canal...

And the certainty of good coffee even when we're miles from civilization. 

It's back to cloud world, and then the humidty of the east coast.

And back to knitting.  The knot-tying was very fun, but I have projects to get on with.

  

Let's have some beer! (Day 2 of 3)

Aunt B did a fun thing for us.  She organized a beer tasting the evening we arrived, with some local and other good microbrews.

Besides beer, we were enjoying beautiful summer in central Washington. The pear orchards...the Applets and Cotlets factory tour...

Walks in the sun, and dips in the frigid irrigation canal...

A day in Leavenworth, with cute shops and more good beer...

Delicious home-cooked meals...

A surprise birthday cupcake treat (heavy-duty fudge-filled with Baileys and Jack D in them, oh yummmm... and occasional 4-wheeler rides for Z.)

Vacation in the West continued... Camping, celebrating, tying knots

  We started with a road trip.  Over the Bridge of the Gods, into camping land along the Columbia River Gorge, Washington side. 

We borrowed tents from A & J.  Z got to share hers with "cousin" AM.  Our beds were cozy and comfy, and thankfully the night was warm but not too warm.
That afternoon the origami came out so we could celebrate A's parents' 50th wedding anniversary.  We enjoyed catered food, roasts and toasts.

Here's the happy couple. 

We did two things by campfire; s'mores and friendship bracelets.

We had enough friends age 12-14 for some colorful knot-tying.

Here's a sample of just one wristful of bracelets. The girls made good use of all the string I brought.

Funny thing--I did ZERO knitting on this trip. It was all about knots instead. Somehow I think the break was good for my brain.

There will be food pictures

The important thing about vacation is eating.  Also people.  So mostly there will be food and people pictures.  Here are some.

Northwest food is just really different from where we live now.  We sure miss this sort of eating.

Also fields of daisies are nice.

And Moonstruck chocolates.

Using up the food

Before going on a trip, the family must eat all the perishables in the house.  The easy part is emptying opened wine bottles and bags of chocolate chips.

For other foods, creativity is required, as well as a lot of salt.

On our last night we were down to rather healthy fare; salad, veggies in cream sauce (wine and butter!) over pasta, fresh fruit.  The tomatoes and peppers became salsa for the last of the chips.  Prior to that, the potatoes and eggs worked their way into this frittata.

Misty garden

It's that time of year again, when we wake up to the jungle.  Our house is cooler inside than the steamy outside air, and the dew point is 72 degrees.

The little tomato likes it though.  Hopefully the houseplants I've moved outside are happy.  Last year's Easter lily will bloom soon.

The oregano is bolting and the salad is too bitter to eat, thanks to the heat.  I've chopped it down and planted summer veggies in its place.   

Cubic foods

It's not often that I get a hankering for tofu.  It is a block.  One has to season it or it has no flavor, and possibly a weird texture. 

With peppers, fried rice, and toasted sesame oil, it gets better.

When Z was small, she loved this dish. Couldn't get her to eat chicken, but tofu with soy sauce and ginger was fine with her.

She still likes it, and so do we.  We top it with green onions and toasted almonds.

Smashed sandwich

There's a fancy name for this in my Moosewood cookbook, but I'd rather just call it what it is.  Also I'd like to put meat on it.

So what you do:  dump olive oil and pressed garlic all over both sides.  Throw on many vegetables and herbs and maybe even some balsamic vinegar. 

Add cheese and any cured or otherwise unhealthy meats.  Close.

Then, as my cookbook says, put a cookie sheet and toddler on top.  If you don't have a toddler, pile up some books.  Leave for three hours.  When thoroughly smashed, enjoy.

We did.  Yum.

Chocolate peanut butter sugar bombs

Z did some spontaneous baking last night.  She whipped up some peanut butter balls.

Sugary goodness!  

Health and horn-blowing

News of the day:

We're all full of phlegm and Benedryl.

Z had her last band concert of the school year last night.

Therefore it is time to clean the trombone. 

I just discovered I can mix cayenne pepper into melted chocolate chips and create an extremely tasty decongestant.  It's especially good because Z won't steal it.

Soon comes the berries

There may only be two berries in our tiny berry pot this year, but I'm keeping watch over them.

From the garden and the stone

Our backyard salad is growing and tastes wonderful.  Can't wait to put in the tomatoes.  In anticipation, I baked pizza to go with the salad.  Yum.

Patio Salad

The lettus is growing quickly!  Today I came home from a neighbor's house with more pots, so the arugula will soon get a home.

Bummer that we can't have tomatoes yet, but the strawberries are up from Florida, so that will do for salads for now.

Lexington Market and beyond

Saturday was rainy, and not the best day for wandering around Baltimore, but I had a made a date with a Ravelry friend to meet up for the first time.  E and Z and I decided to make a day of it, and visited some of little Italy, the Lexington Market, and other shops.  We found the locals boisterous and friendly on this rainy day.

I could return to Lexington Market over and over.  E said he could eat there every weekend and still not have tried half of it.  It is full of amazingly good food.

Anything fried, any fresh meat or vegetable or tasty sweet concoction can be found.  Sea food, soul food, smoked food, barbecue, chitterlings, hog maws, cheesecake... 

Z had mac and cheese.  I had seafood gumbo (you can't see the mussels, which were delicious). E had the best lump of crab cake I've ever tasted, and hush puppies.

While Z and E checked out the shops, I spent some time with A, who showed me all her knitted wonders.  She is a festival of color and just plain fun.  I really wish I had taken pictures.  Somehow I forget my camera sometimes. 

Ravelry is a wonder for meeting interesting new people.  I hope to go back again on a sunny day and walk the harbor area, see yarn stores with A, and eat some more. 

Second bithday

We rescheduled Z's bowling party.  The bowling alley wouldn't give us a reservation this time, but promised Sundays are slow.  All lanes were full.

For the failure of providing the promised activity, and holing up seven 6th graders in a house with nothing but food and board games for three hours, I give myself a Bad Mom card. 

For the personal pizzas, a slightly better grade.  They morphed considerably in the transportation to the oven.

Geometry

See the natural rhythms in our simple daily creations? 
Ahh, the circles of life...

Snow Food

Things we eat when we are stuck in the house...

SO thankful for the electricity, for E's well-timed trips to the grocery store before the second wave, and for food.

Happy Christmas

We're back!  We've been road-tripping for the holiday, and then recovering.

We opened our gifts Christmas morning, which for us was December 24.

And then we drove north, somehow avoiding all the bad weather that would later come there, and we had a Festivus with family.

There was dinner with fried potatoes...

And fancy tables...

And the cousins did up the house big fancy crazy, including the tree that had 3-D effects if you wore the funny glasses.

There was also Pittsburgh, with gingerbread. 

And later there was West Virginia, and somehow, in exhaustion and with a head cold, all I could do by then was sleep on Granddad's couch, and enjoy the peace of the quiet snow.

From now on, only the good stuff

Z's Halloween candy lays on the living room floor, where I can just pick one up and eat it every time I pass by.

The Reeses cups got to me: a reaction not unlike a sunburn, in all the places on me where the sun has been.  I even had swimsuit lines, and heat pouring out of my skin.  Also there was no sleep to be had, because my brain was running high speed.

A consultation with someone who would know revealed that there is a big difference, healthwise, between good chocolate and this sort, especially for a woman of my particular age.  I have overdone it and hurt myself. 

I was told red wine does it too, but I knew that.  Tell me, what is there to live for, without red wine and chocolate?  Apparently quality is the key.

So I must banish the bad, tasty candy.  -- P.S.: Artwork by Z

Because every home should have a swirling vortex

We did it again, and this year I was so preoccupied I forgot to take photos of everyone's work.  Arg!  But I have Z's, after the fact.

This year Z suggested colored frosting, so we had lime green, neon purple, and sky blue.  Crazy!

Buckwheat, hog casings, and red hots

It rained.  The wind blew and the trees were coloring.  We weren't sorry about the wonderful autumn weather, but it did mean we missed the festival. 

We got our cakes though.  These were the more authentic, sour starter sort of cakes, with an earthy flavor.  We might prefer the more pancakey kind.

Instead of cruising the midway, we headed for the grocery stores.  West Virginia may as well be a foreign country to us.  The natural thing to do therefore was check out the food.  Folks out here catch and can their own.  I like it.

We also had to visit Candyland.  It's big, with many interesting varieties.  We spent less than $50, so we felt pretty good.

I drink Blend 45

I enjoy green tea with toasted brown rice in it.  It's called Genmaicha, but I've been told that an unflattering name for tea from toasted (or burned) rice is "Blend 45."  In some countries it might be a sign of low income, or excessive frugality, if I have it right.  Mine includes some mini popped corn, which is silly-cute.  It's also tasty.

Cookie Lab

Z and her baking friend are at it again.  It's about mixing, mashing, melting, shaping.

The cookies contained one of four possible ingredients: marshmallows, almonds, chocolate chips, and some had coconut sprinkled on top.  It was a day of contrasting temperaments and some back-and-forth between the two:

Should we level the top of the measuring cup with a knife, or just shake the measuring cup level?

Should we wash hands at every opportunity, or not at all?

Will we divide the dough into exactly four even portions or just add the "extras" during the formation of the cookies?

Clearly we have two different types here.  They make good lab partners because they even each other out.

Edibles

Pizza.