After a Spring-like 4-5 days, Winter returned.
It snowed, it rained, it graupeled.
The wind blew.
The sun came out.
And a bit of sunshine for supper: seared/braised salmon…
With turmeric-cayenne brown rice and Israeli (middle eastern) salad.
Supper.
*** I’d barely hit “publish” when the setting sun lit the trees to the east…in contrast to the darkish gray sky:
I have Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds as my phone ring tone. It is probably the only reggae song I know.
I think it is reggae.
I love it. It makes me happy to hear it even though I don’t particularly like talking on the phone.
My “boss” teases me about it when he hears the ringtone in the background. He is actually from Jamaica and he’s black. And I am from Ohio and am the palest white. It’s funny.
Anyway.
The island, man (said mon in island speak).
I love it.
This morning I worked on it.
I made Blood Orange Almond Cinnamon Rolls…from no knead Brioche. I also made a Brioche loaf.
The rolls. The Blood Orange juice turned the frosting pink instead of orange.
I was inspired to make these rolls by Homesick Texan’s Orange Pecan Cinnamon Rolls recipe. But I had only a Blood Orange and of the nuts I have, almonds sounded best.
Lisa of Homesick Texan was inspired to make her Orange Pecan Cinnamon Rolls based on those orange pecan rolls in a can. She loved them as a child. I loved them as a child. They would probably make me gag now.
But inspiration is a good thing and although I trust Lisa’s recipes absolutely, I do love my no knead brioche dough and also wanted to make a brioche loaf hence my adapted version of orange pecan cinnamon rolls.
The island as a work spot: it worked wonderfully.
It gives me a better kitchen triangle.
So far, I have not felt like it was “in the way”. Yes, I am adjusting how I move in the kitchen but I’m not bumping into it or thinking it is too big or in the wrong place…
I love the island, mon!
A St. Patrick’s Day orange and green snack: roasted red pepper hummus with cold blanched asparagus.
Outside, the weather was a bit frightful…
Such a sad Auggie face.
I think because he knows he can mostly come and go as he pleases, he has become a bit pickier, i.e. more cat-like about the weather he will go out in.
Our St. Patrick’s Day: mostly white!
Years ago…when I was young..ish…I lived in Los Angeles, California.
There was Falafel!
If you don’t know falafel, it is basically a savory chickpea fritter ball, i.e. chickpeas, garlic, parsley and other spices ground together to a paste and then deep fried. In the middle east it is a popular street food. Also in West Los Angeles where I partook in the early 1990’s.
In Northwest Montana…not so much falafel. I tried some “health food store” add water mixes. Blech. Left it behind.
Recently, a trusted food blogger showed falafel and paved the way to this recipe: Tori Avey’s Falafel recipe
I jumped in the Jeep and went to town for garbanzo beans.
My falafel plate:
My own Pita, Tori’s falafel on hummus with tahini sauce (Tahini sauce) and Israeli Salad( Israeli Salad )
That salad. Tori calls it Israeli salad as her husband is from Israel … it is a mix that common in the Middle East and Mediterranean.
So simple but so flavorful.
Greek Feta.
REAL GREEK Feta. At my local Costco.
The “Israeli Salad” with feta and kalamata olives = one fantastic lunch.
Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food = healthy and delicious!
Etc., indeed.
On the home front, it got to 50F this afternoon with bits of sunshine.
Auggie loves THE CHAIR.
Bear has adjusted to being on dry ground, just north of Beardog Point…Beardog Point being a bit snowy/icy.
Falafel, etc.: a good day.
I was looking at the news, waiting for the water to heat to make coffee and I kept hearing a funny sound from the kitchen. It sounded kind of like a mouse in the cupboard, but neither Bear nor Auggie were paying any attention.
???
I moved around the kitchen, cocking my head, stooping down, leaning next to the usual mousie hidey holes and could not figure out where the sound was coming from or what it was.
Oh.
Rain! Actual rain as in not sleet, but real rain. It was hitting the light tube (smallish skylight) in the kitchen. I haven’t heard rain in awhile and didn’t expect it. But after yesterday’s 47, it stayed above freezing overnight. It was 37 this morning. The forecast wintry mix was pure rain.
Bear was having a rainy day nap on the bed, but Auggie kept me company as I got a warm breakfast going…
Sue’s (The View From Great Island Blog) Warm Cashew Granola sounded like a good place to start. Her recipe is a granola served warm. I modified slightly (coconut oil instead of vegetable oil) and reduced it making slightly less than 1/4 of her recipe: a perfect single serving.
Warm cashew granola with blackberries and cashew cream.
Perfect for a February rainy morning.
Auggie thought so too.
My Tuesday started with this:
Almond milk French toast made with my very own Brioche bread and stuffed with a goat cheese-powdered sugar-dark chocolate chip (goat cheese riff on cannoli filling) filling. I didn’t actually stuff…I made 4 pieces of Almond Milk Brioche French Toast and put the filling between. And then… and THEN drizzled a warm maple syrup and red raspberry topping.
And there was bacon.
Tuesday started deliciously!
Several weeks ago, I had a kind of terrible Tuesday. It was hardly terrible so much as disappointing. And in spite of the fact that I knew things had really worked out for the best, there were parts that were just enough to reduce me – albeit unreasonably – to tears. Rats.
BUT.
Out in the cosmos, the call was heard.
And responded to.
Out of the blue, I received this email:
I was catching up on your blog which I still love, and went to the archives to see the early stuff. I came across this verse that you posted and thought I would do it in calligraphy for you.
From Hilary ( Hilary’s Etsy Shop)
The verse is a much loved verse that I often use as a prayer if I have a worry about one of the pets. And I pray it at the loss of one of them. It has so often been a great comfort to me.
God, our good, heavenly and dear Father, works in mysterious and wonderful ways.
Terrific Tuesday.