Last Night's Dinner

Lucky to be living with two really amazing cooks. I don't eat meat anymore but can't call myself a vegetarian as I still eat seafood. When my family cooks something like this, it would be rude to refuse. Anyhow, very thankful for good meals and for what it took to get to my plate. Whole fish, market vegetables, and our vegetarian spring rolls leftover from last week's market. For some reason, we sell out of everything else (including the mushroom) each week except for the vegetarian one!

Really thankful for the day off to rest and catch up with things I normally don't have time for anymore... like having a nice breakfast! And gardening, shopping at the Greenmarket for myself and not just for the business, watching movies, and eating dinner at home.

It's been a really nice and relaxing weekend. I opened all the windows and let the breeze flow through the apartment, and I've been hearing a neighbor's jazz music play all evening. Although the recent warm weather and mild winter has made me feel nervous about an extremely hot summer (and planet) ahead, I enjoyed the beautiful spring day today.

Sometimes it's Just Easier

...if you let the kid have everything he wants. Babysitting my nephew.

Winter's Here!

First time the cats have experienced snow!

A New Year

Something about a new year and the thought of the last one gone by so quickly that makes me want to clean, organize, and plan. Wishing happiness and health to all. 

Seeing Purple

Radishes. From my balcony to the kitchen.

We went to California again for my cousin's Eagle Scout ceremony and also for another cousin's wedding. It was a nice trip, caught up with family/friends, finally went to the movies (last one I saw at the theater was The King's Speech!), and ate good food. Also went back to Cypress, CA where I lived for 10 years, to a local carnival fair with my uncle who was hired to take photos (although the one above is mine!) It was a little strange to be back in the area where I spent much of my adolescence. Some things have changed, but a lot has also stayed the same. It made me think about all that has changed for me and the path my life has taken since leaving California. Then I realized that I am where I'm supposed to be, which is a nice thought to have... it's accepting and actually liking my present state! So although it's always great to catch up with relatives and friends, I acknowledged during this trip how much I really like living in Brooklyn and on the East Coast in general. I'm glad to be back home with my cats, my farmer's market, and back at the garden again. Perhaps I've grown more roots here in NY than I previously thought I had!

Driving on the Taconic, all I saw were cops and deer. Makes for a cautious drive, even if the scenery is gorgeous. This week at the farm/garden, I learned how to prune tomatoes. It's so satisfying, I could prune all day! I'll have to tend to my own tomato plants today. What else did we do... trellised the peas, harvested lettuces and kale, transplanted rows of pistou basil for the herb garden, weeded of course. The time just passes so fast while I'm there, always lots to do.

Neil cooked hamburgers with shoestring fries last night, very satisfying after a long day. He had gone to the Union Square Greenmarket yesterday and met Keith Stewart of Keith's Farm. He told him what I was doing and he gave me a free copy of his book! I've wanted to read It's a Long Road to a Tomato for a while now, especially after I saw his posting for internship positions. I didn't want to live somewhere else for an entire season though, but I'm sure it would be a wonderful experience. Anyways, I'm very happy to have his book now. And his tomatoes were really good with the hamburger! 

Also, first blueberries of the season were at the Greenmarket. So much good fruit during the summer!