Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Pretty Food, Pretty Children, Pretty Flowers


I had such a good time making last night's supper. All of the ingredients were so pretty.


There was braising and the adding of the fruit and melting of butter and basting with sauce and then finishing it all up in the oven. It didn't really come out looking like the picture in the New York Times recipe page but it was pretty enough. My snapper had to lose his head because it was too big to fit into the largest skillet I own which is a pretty damn big skillet. May I die before I'm too weak to handle it. 


I grew that cilantro, by the way. It's one of the few things that has survived in the garden. I do believe that my problem there this year can be partly blamed on the chickens who have eaten a great many of the sproutlings and then nipped their favorite greens which did manage to get big enough to taste. Collards and kale, mostly. Dang them. 
Anyway, the snapper tasted all right but honestly, it wasn't nearly as good as that whole snapper they cook in a beach bar restaurant with no electricity in Cozumel. And I feel certain the only ingredients they use are salt, flour, oil, and lime. And of course fish which is so fresh that it might have just jumped from the water and into the pan. 
Sigh...
Oh well. At least I had fun. And Mr. Moon liked it fine. 
I'm trying really hard, I mean I am really making an effort to cook less. And I did well with that last night. There was just enough for our supper and the lunch I packed for my husband. Cooking less means that not only will I have fewer leftovers to deal with, it will be less tempting to overeat. 
This is the theory, right? 
I mean, some leftovers are good but after a few days I end up throwing things to the chickens which they love and which yes, I do get back in the form of perfect protein but it still feels wasteful. 
And yes, chickens do love fish heads. 

So today's main activity was, hold on...wait for it! GOING TO COSTCO!

Of course we had fun. 


Those crackies! The always crack me up. We went too early, it would seem. Everyone was setting up the sample carts but none were ready. So we browsed. And took our time. Maggie adores Levon, as you can tell. She looks at him with the eyes of love. August is rather fond of his brudder too. There was a lot of laughing. 
And then, as it inevitably goes, there was some crying. 
Eventually though they got some pizza roll samples as well as some plain yogurt with hemp hearts. I tasted that and said, "Uh, no." So did Maggie. 
August and Levon liked it though. August said, "This is really delicious!" 
What can I say? 
I would say that August's taste buds are more attuned to the less sugary treats but he'd rassle a bear for ice cream and sell his mama for chocolate. Levon just likes everything. 

So then we went to Japanica! We consumed our regular miso soups and salads with ginger dressing and various delicious proteins cooked various delicious ways with various delicious vegetables. I went CRAZY and got a Bento Box with green curry shrimp instead of tofu. I have to say it was excellent. 

And then it was time for us all to part and go to our homes. Maggie did not want to go. She wanted to go to the bookstore but there just wasn't time today. 


When I kissed her good-bye I told her that she was a beautiful, strong, powerful woman-child! 
She wasn't much impressed but I'm going to keep telling her because she is. Actually, I'm pretty sure she already knows that, having been born with the knowledge. It doesn't hurt to reinforce the truth, though. 

I came home and cut out Maggie's dress. 


Bug flannel! 
I hate to admit this but these days pinning the pattern and cutting out the pieces is the hardest part of the whole operation because it requires me to get on the floor. If anyone in the world needs to take yoga, it's me. After a lifetime of fairly excellent flexibility I have become one of those old persons whose joints are as stiff as a rusted-up bolt. 
Seriously. Maybe I should start doing a yoga video. Anyone have one they recommend? I have no doubt that Youtube probably offers a million of them. 

It's been gray and rainy and chilly all day long and it's supposed to get into the twenties tonight. I've got the porch plants wrapped up and I think they'll be fine. The camellias may lose their blossoms but more will come out soon. 


Here are some of the Pink Perfections I picked today. I hope you're not tired of camellia pictures because there will certainly be more. 

This is the service which I happily provide. We all have our purposes in life and adoring camellias is one of mine. 

Love...Ms. Moon






38 comments:

  1. Does August still wear the dress you made for him? Will you make him another one? He might like bug flannel too.

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    1. He hasn't worn that dress in a long time but today when he saw the dress I was making for Maggie he said he'd like one like that. I asked if maybe he'd like some pants out of the same bug flannel and he said that yes, he would.

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  2. those camellias are gorgeous. get you one of the collapsible 3' x 6' tables for cutting out your patterns. they have them at Costco. set it up when you need it, store it when you don't.

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    1. I think you're right. That's what I need. I do have a long table on my porch which I could also use.

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  3. your fish dinner and the beautiful ingredients are a sight for sore eyes! And I never tire of Magnolia's beautiful pouty lips! Such a beauty, that one. And i mentioned before that my dear Mom grew pink perfection camelias..........only ones I've seen in 40 years are yours and they are lovely. Im sad tonight at losing James Ingram....... felt rather sappy about it for some unknown reason.....and have to share this, how can you not shed tears over this?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smc5FHbZtG4
    Susan M

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    1. We never know how the death of someone is going to hit us, do we? I'm sorry. He was a huge talent.
      Thank you for your sweet words on my pictures.

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  4. No such thing as too many camellia pictures. More, please. The thinly-sliced citrus is like beautiful stained glass. Your day sounds lovely.

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  5. yoga with adrienne on youtube!

    xxalainaxx

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    1. I'll check it out. I always forget I have youtube on my TV.

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  6. This! This will change your life for the better. I had one before we jettisoned all of our stuff and I really miss it.

    https://www.joann.com/sullivans-double-wall-carton-home-hobby-table/13132808.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkMDiBRDNARIsACKP1FGZ4rlIujybmLrPIktcvstW44ocaFsJh8dv6OPgm-BLGd39c1NYexwaAtztEALw_wcB

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  7. Another lovely day. I hope you stay warm and cozy tonight.

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  8. I always say I'm going to do those yoga videos, but then I just realize I need a CLASS -- I just like all the bells and whistles, I guess. I've started going weekly (ok, I've gone ONCE) to Qi Gong. It's supposed to be good for everyone, but it's particularly good for the aged. I think.

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    1. You are hardly the aged, my love.
      But yeah, in yoga you kind of need a teacher to guide you and make sure that you're in the correct position. I'm proud of you for going to Qi Gong.

      Delete
  9. Well, at least you are able to "recycle" your leftovers via the chickens, so nothing goes to waste. That's pretty admirable. The snapper came out looking great! I love the bug flannel -- I wish more people and certainly more kids had an appreciation for how miraculous insects are. And I love any and all camellia pictures.

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    1. I wish I'd gotten more of the bug flannel but I think there is more of it at Joann's fabric.
      More camellia pictures to flower, I am sure.

      Delete
  10. I was just wondering, why don't you use your kitchen table to cut out the pattern?

    I cook a lot too but we take leftovers for lunch everyday, neither of us like sandwiches.

    The grandkids are beautiful, as are the camellias. I should be so lucky to have such beautiful flowers in my garden.

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    1. My "kitchen table" is on the porch and if the weather's good, I should use that. I pack Mr. Moon's lunch every day of whatever it is we're having for supper. He appreciates that.
      I am so grateful to be able to grow camellias here.

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  11. Love those flower pics and those grandbaby pics. Maggie is especially a rock star :)

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  12. One of the first things I bought our budding studio thirty years ago was a cutting table. Hard to find and very expensive, but worth its weight in golden fabric. Now they're a dime a dozen. Probably even Costco. They fold down to maybe 16 inches wide. Our original is still going strong, and still saving backs. I never did make it to my knees to cut, except wall paper.

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    1. Obviously, I have been doing this wrong forever! Damn.

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  13. 6’ folding table from Costco makes a fab cutting table. Just make sure you get one that lies flat when set up.

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  14. You could ruin a perfectly ok table cutting out patterns. Better than ruining your back.

    This aging business is shit.

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    Replies
    1. This aging business IS shit and I don't care what anyone says.

      Delete
  15. "Maybe I should start doing a yoga video...". I thought you were planning to star in such a video - perhaps wearing a pink leotard. You could call your YouTube yoga series "The Dark Side of The Moon".

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    1. Well, Mr. P. I suppose that's an idea. I'll toss it around. Of course I'd have to buy a pink leotard. Sounds like a lot of work.

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  16. I'm so happy Maggie was wearing a pink crown. She owns it, that girl!! among all the boys.

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    1. Yep. She IS the queen. That was her birthday crown but it's still perfect for her.

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  17. Yes to perfect blossoms of the camelia and grand baby kind.

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  18. I have two things to tell you :
    Those camillas are so perfect they look like a painting! And that all your grandchildren are beautiful and Maggie looks like a little doll but my favorite thing about her (from your photos) is the expression of hers that tells you that Miss Magnolia will not be suffering fools. A girl after my own heart

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  19. Nope. She doesn't suffer fools and in her opinion, we are ALL fools at one time or another. She's her own woman.

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  20. Those kids in the cart. I don't even like kids and i'd be scheming how to roll away with the lot of them. They are too. damn. cute.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.