Odd jobs

A pending mid-year review has me hiding in the corner Starbucks  drinking cafe au lait and wishing the day was already done so my stomach could stop with the flippy flops And I could be back home with the family.  As it turns out, my Starbucks is also getting a review–the district manager is here evaluating the displays and taking the temperature of the coffee and the milk and what have.  I never considered that  someone actually came to evaluate how they display the coffee and the tea though when I think about it, that is the key to standardization which Starbucks is despite it’s efforts to appear individual and cute.  Is it better to realize I am not the only person getting reviewed today or not?

I’ve been thinking about jobs more these days, my job and  those belonging to other people and those I might prefer.  I think it started when a big batch of people from my office retired.  All of the sudden I started thinking what would it be like to fill my day with volunteering and reading, cooking and knitting.  One day I realized I was actually feeling jealous that I had to go to work when I’d much rather not.  After all these years, litigation is draining and exhausting and full of negative energy.  I  don’t want to deal with recidivist defendants and their counsel.  I  don’t want to make war.  I want to do something positive, I just don’t know what that is.

The inheritance from my mother is enough to make sure we can have a good holiday every year and help the posse with college and buy a new sofa but it’s not enough to retire early on, not even if we do the small house thing and sell most of what we own.  So I have to press on and improve my attitude until I too can move on to the next step, be it writing or cooking or whatever.  I know the time will come. I just have to be a bit more patient.  Perhaps it’s time to start hitting my cushion again.

 

 

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Ten years. . . Happy Birthday!

let the baby drive the boat image

imageHappy Birthday!

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Seasonal in the darker months

I am sitting in the Muddy Cup with a giant cafe au lait.  My visit to the farmer’s market is all done.   From the last part of February through about mid-March, I go through the market much more quickly than I do in the spring and summer or even the earlier months of winter.  Even in Seattle where our climate is not so cold and snowy, by this time of year while the days are getting longer and longer, there still isn’t much in the way of produce.  I spend more time chatting with farmer/producer friends and less time pondering what to buy before heading for my coffee.

When I first moved the family to being “locovore” and seasonal eaters, this was the hardest time of year for me.   I would go to the market and see nothing but a few carrots, lots of Savoy cabbage, parsnips, jerusalem artichokes and some times brussel sprouts.  I’d never really eatten parsnips (though I did know they were a favorite of Gub-Gub the pig in “Doctor Doolittle,”), jerusalem artichokes strongly resembled dahlia bulbs, my experience with brussel sprouts was limited to the overcooked ones my mother had made and cabbage goes in cole slaw, right.   But now, 6 years into it, things have changed rather dramatically.  Roasted Brussel sprouts are a family favorite. as are roasted parsnips.  Parsnips also make a damn fine pureed soup.  Stirfried cabbage and bacon is a favorite family dinner that, even if it isn’t, feels like something a Chinese mom would whip up.  I’ve even found a recipe for the Jerusalem artichokes that doesn’t make 3/4 of the family go ewwww.  In short, even in the darkest months, I can make a good tasty meal and never have to go near the food co-op.  Now if I could only develop a habit of planning meals for the whole week in advance.

A Muddy Cup

 

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Where I wish I was

image

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Coronation Pasta

The original Coronation Chicken was created in celebration of the Coronation of Elizabeth II.  Basically its a chicken salad with poached and shredded chicken, curry powder to taste, a mayo dressing and a bit of mango chutney.  From that basic theme, the recipes run wild with variations—yogurt to replace mayo, celery, raisins, chopped nuts, apples, onion (cooked or raw), pomegranite seeds–the choices seem endless but they are all yummy.  The finished product can be served in tart shells or baked potatos or stuffed in a sandwich.

I made Coronation Chicken for lunches on Tuesday.  I halved the mayo and made up the difference with whole milk yogurt.

Wednesday night was pasta night but everyone ate all the dinner leaving nothing for lunch leftovers.  After poking through the freezer, the fridge and the cupboards I found the remains of a pound of ground lamb; way more frozen apricot halves from summer than I ever remembered; the scant remains of a loaf of bread; a single pound of dry pasta and half an onion.

I came up with Coronation Pasta for lunch.  And you know, it was pretty yummy too.

Coronation Pasta

1 -2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1 T curry powder (or to taste)

1 cup minced onion

1/2 lb ground lamb

12 frozen apricot halves (ah yes, the tricky part)  ( in lieu of frozen apricots, theres always 2 T of mango chutney)

1/2 t ground pepper

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1 lb pasta–shell shapes work well with this dish because the raisins and the meat bits hide in the pasta.

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped almonds

Put on a large pot of water to boil.  When it reaches boiling point, add salt.

While you wait for your water, chop onion to taste.  Heat coconut oil in frying pan, add curry powder, stir a bit and add the onion.  After onion has softened a bit, add the ground lamb, being careful to break-up the chunks.  Add 1/2 cup water and the apricot halves.  As they thaw, the apricots will melt into the ground lamb.

Add remainder of the seasonings, cover and turn heat under lamb to very low.

Cook pasta.  Before pasta reaches al dente, add raisins to the pasta water to soften.  When pasta is al dente–before you drain it–add 2 ladles or 3/4 cup of the pasta water to the lamb mix.  If you are using chutney instead of the apricots, stir the chutney into the lamb mix now.

Combine cooked lamb with drained pasta and raisins.  Add chopped almonds and stir.

Serve warm or cold or room temperature.

 

 

 

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Where I wish I was

A fine pub I am sure

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