Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Taking My Game on the Road

I had hoped to get a post or two up this week but a work deadline has kept me out of the kitchen all week. Thank goodness for Special K and the Whole Foods salad bar because otherwise I would have starved.

I finished my project at 3pm today and just in time too because in exactly nine hours I will on a plane headed back home to Michigan for one last week of R&R with my folks and I'm taking my clubs with me.

Packed for my Golfing Trip

We had so much fun a few weeks ago golfing together that when I came home from the last trip, I immediately booked another week up north. My dad and I have six full days of golfing planned on various courses. Of course, you can't golf that much without having some betting going on and we are no different. High score has bar tab and given how much beer both of us can put away that could be very expensive. My mom has dubbed the week the Father/Daughter Labatts Open.

I did get in the kitchen tonight. Despite the blight, my two grape tomato plants have been surprisingly blight resistant and both are producing nicely. I love to take grape tomatoes and letting them cook down a bit on the stove.

My measly tomato haul from the garden

This week the CSA also had a small mid early onions as part of our share.

CSA Onions

So, I took some onions, garlic, the green pepper from the CSA share, and a handful of my garden's tomatoes, sauted them in some good olive oil and made some garden scrambled eggs with the last two eggs from last week's CSA share.

Garden Omlette

With the last few blackberries in the fridge, it not only meant I wasn't throwing anything from the fridge out, it made a fanatastic quick dinner and welcome change from cold cereal and milk for dinner.

I'm not sure I'll be able to post this week. It will depend on if I can get the parent's dial up internet connection to cooperate or not. I will though be coming back with a few fun food things and if I get a few minutes, there may even be some bread baking going on at the folks house.

If not, get out there and visit your local farmer's market. They may not have tomatoes but I'll bet they will have something nice to make your own garden scrambled eggs.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Weekend Cat Blogging: Where Has August Gone?!

Can you believe that we are half way through August already?

I sure can't. Even more amazing is that the whole summer just seems to be screaming by because it is time for us to host Weekend Cat Blogging again!

Well, I'm hosting again because as usual, Mom is no where to be found. Well, I know where to find her and judging that she has left you hanging on what she did with the wild raspberries she found when she was out hitting golf balls, I would say she sure can't be found in the kitchen.

Instead for most of this month you could find Mom either in the office working to a few deadlines that got pulled in or out on the golf course enjoying the nice warm weather that finally made its appearance. If you asked me though, I'd say it was because she wanted to play with her new putter and hot pink driver.

My new Hot Pink Driver and putter

The driver matches her hot pink playing balls.

I really don't like all the time Mom spends on the golf course but there is an advantage to all this game playing she has been doing, putting practice. You see, Mom's golf instructor told her that she could get much better with her putting if she practiced at home by hitting a golf ball into a drinking glass.

Practicing my Putting

I like to help her collect the balls she misses.

LB chases a putt

It is fun to pounce on them as they go rolling by me. But after a while, I get bored

LB Bored with Putting

and want to take a nap on Mom's new couch.

New Couch

She even made a place for me down at the end with my favorite blanket.

LB's Spot on the Couch

If you look closely, right next to the new couch is the other new hobby Mom has picked up, knitting.

Mom sure surprised me by picking up knitting needles a few weeks ago. She wanted to make something for her bestest friend Sara, who is expecting her first baby and got hooked. I kind of like the part when she gets new yarn.

babyyarn

She has to roll it in a ball before she starts a new project and she lets me help her keep the yarn in its place by chasing it.

Just in case you think that Mom has given up any cooking this month, she has been in the kitchen a few times. She made a German Chocolate Bundt Cake to take into the office.

German Chocolate Bundt Cake

Like all the things she brings into the office, it didn't last long.

Inside German Chocolate Bundt Cake

Mom also has been loving the farm fresh eggs she has been getting from her CSA.

CSA Eggs

Aren't they pretty with all those different shapes, sizes, and colors? One thing that isn't different about the eggs is how gorgeous yellow the yolks are, regardless of the egg.

CSA Eggs, Yellow Yolks

Mom loves to come home and make a quick dinner of scrambled eggs.

CSA Scrambled Eggs

I even like the farm fresh egg scrambled eggs better when she shares them with me.

Mom's new couch is much smaller than her old couch. It fits much better in her apartment and even leaves room for her to put out my stool

LB on his Stool

so I can sit on it and wait for my treats.

If you want to join us in Weekend Cat Blogging, just leave us a comment with a link to your post. Mom's going to be working most of the weekend and has two tee times as well but don't let that stop you from checking back at the end of the weekend reading all the comments other kitties leave.

Sunday, August 02, 2009

Worth Three Balls and One Half Iced Coffee

This early evening, after yet another day of rain, thunder and enough humidity to give yourself a facial by walking out your front door, we were treated with the sun peeking out from chunky clouds.

Having forced myself to clean the apartment and do laundry versus sitting on the couch catching up on the last three months of Bon Appetit and Gourmet, I decided to treat myself by heading to a nearby elementary school to hit some golf balls on the soccer field.

On my way to the school I stopped by the local Starbucks to pick up an iced coffee to sip on while I searched all over for my lost balls which, given my current slice and shank, could end up anywhere on the field.

While walking along a chain link fence at the rear of the field looking for three of my hot pink golf balls I heard hit the fence, I noticed poking through the fence, tendrils of wild raspberry bushes that were absolutely loaded with ripe berries.

I let out a squeal of delight because earlier in the day I had wanted to get some raspberries at the store but they were too expensive and now, right in front of me were hundreds of berries for the taking. The problem was I didn't have a bowl or container with me.

Pondering the problem I took a sip of my iced coffee and then it struck it me. I did have a container and it was right in my hand, the plastic cup for my iced coffee. Taking one last sip of my coffee, I dumped it out and started picking.

Twenty minutes later I had one raspberry filled tall coffee cup with only about thirty tangy sweet berries finding their way to my mouth.

Wild Raspberries Picking Container aka Starbucks Iced Coffee Cup

Getting home, I thoroughly rinsed the berries to remove any husks, bugs and other debris left over from the vines.

I don't know what I'm going to do with my raspberries yet. I'm sure inspiration will come to me but in the mean time, I'll just look at how vivid red the berries look in their white bowl.

Wild Raspberries Found While Golfing

And no, I'm telling you where that school is either because tomorrow on my lunch break I'm heading back with a bucket...