My brother has one with these elements, cutting drywall, hair full of dust, rainy day, hair hardens, oven on, head in oven, steam from hair, sister-in-law tries to put out a fire that that isn’t there.

Today I have a little one, not quite as dramatic or painful…but still funny.

Last night I was starting some plants, crushing a coffee cup to put in the bottom of the pot for drainage. I wrapped the cups in a towel, hit them with a hammer and voila, broken stuff. In that process I chipped the counter top…ugh..but not really. I have wanted  new counter tops for a while. This might be a self fulfilling prophecy, with consequences. I got the seeds planted, and today started to measure for new counter tops. While measuring the tape flung back and WHACK SLICE took a sliver of the end of my finger almost off. OUCH

All of this and now I have a dinged counter, and a dinged finger, and if those seeds do not grow I will be so annoyed. If they do grow they will be the most expensive Lily of the Valley flowers EVER.

The seeds to sow.

Rough diagram of our kitchen. During which the maiming of my finger took place.

Ouch

Holding my parts together.

]]> http://cidtalk.com/?feed=rss2&p=3389 0 http://cidtalk.com/?p=3382 http://cidtalk.com/?p=3382#comments Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:08:33 +0000 Cidtalk http://cidtalk.com/?p=3382 I found this card I got from Grandma Helen back in 1996 or so. I was in Florida, a chapter of my life:) I say we bring back the fine art of sending cards, letters, hand written notes to each other. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE email, texting, facebook, twitter, etc…all for communicating, but then having a card in my hand that she took the time to think about, write, and mail to me is something those things can’t quite emulate. By the way, I don’t know what the “Congratulations” was for, so I need to investigate the date of this particular “Thur’s 6:AM” a little closer:)

The snow came, and stayed.

It’s out every window.

At least I have a way out. Thanks husband:)

Poor little mailbox.

Noticing things around the house. A bowl of fruit and vegetables making me think about what’s for supper.

Finding things to entertain myself, taking a photo from the inside of the fridge. Guess what, it’s not the first time I’ve done it.:)

Camera in hand, why not take pictures from the view point of a place we all spend a fair amount of our lives.

Some people would be offended if they give a gift and you put it in the bathroom, but why? My niece made and gave me that cool wreath that I look at every time I go to the bathroom, every time I take a long hot bath, and every time I go in that room for anything at all….so be flattered the next time you realize someone put a gift you gave them in their bathroom.

I love this print of a painting that hangs in my bathroom. I see it many times a day. Think about how often you ignore art hanging around your house, but in a smaller room it seems to stand out more.

More me…shocking.

Oh yes, it’s time.

Good old fashioned popcorn in a pan is the best.

Tools of the trade. The metal bowl was Grandma Helen’s. She used that thing for almost everything. I wonder if I had a scientific sample done what would show up!

Yum.

]]> http://cidtalk.com/?feed=rss2&p=3366 0 http://cidtalk.com/?p=3359 http://cidtalk.com/?p=3359#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2013 03:09:45 +0000 Cidtalk http://cidtalk.com/?p=3359 A future school event will involve ancient Roman food. This means that today and this evening my 16 year old nephew and I enjoyed shopping and preparing test recipes. The first is Pear Patina. I’m not sure exactly what it’s supposed to be, something like a baked pudding…we shall see. It’s still in the oven. Then there are the honey baked dates…wow, delicious!!

Pear Patina

The Romans referred to their dessert course as mensa secunda, or “second table.” They satisfied their fondness for sweets with desserts such as fruitcakes, pudding, sweet egg-based dishes, and sweet cheeses , and in this case, a delicious pear patina.

Ancient
Grind boiled and cored pears with pepper, cumin, honey, passum, garum, and a bit of oil. When the eggs have been added, make a patina, sprinkle pepper over, and serve.

Modern (serves 4)

• 4 Pears
• Water Or White Wine (To Cook The Pears)
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• Pinch Each Pepper And Cumin
• 1/2 Cup Passum (A Modern Version Of Raisin Wine)
• 3 Eggs
• 1 1/2 Cups Milk (Optional)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Poach the whole pears in water or white wine. When they are done, peel and core them, then crush them into a puree, mixing in the honey, pepper, cumin and passum. Beat the eggs, adding the milk if desired. Then blend this into the pear mixture with the olive oil. Pour into a casserole and bake for around 20 minutes at 350° F.

Dates Alexandrine

Stuffing, arranging and coating the almond stuffed dates with honey before baking for a few minutes.

• 20 Whole Dates
• 20 Blanched Almonds
• Cinnamon 25g
• Butter
• Honey

Heat the butter until just molten then stone the dates. Dip the almonds in butter and roll the in the cinnamon before stuffing one into each date. Place in an oven-proof dish and coat each date in honey. Pour over the remaining butter and bake in a very hot oven, around 410°F, for 5–8 minutes before serving.