Wild Edges

The current evening show in our apartment.

That same window light is helping get these little heirloom seedlings started.

In this batch of seedlings there are Marigolds, Greek Dwarf Basil, Marconi Peppers, and Genovese Tomatoes.  I’ll be planting the next batch in about a week and that will be the Golden Crookneck Squash and Mexican Grey Squash.  Toward the middle-end of April I’ll be planting purple carrots, dwarf baby bok choy, a lettuce mix and leeks.  I think that’s everything….

It’s a lot, but everything will be in containers and in the three locations outside the house that get light and aren’t in the yard.  Also, I’m trying my best not to buy anything new for this garden (except for the soil) and use only materials I have or have been upcycled.  When it comes time to move the plants outside, they will be planted in 55 gallon barrels that have been cut in half and whatever else I find if necessary.  It’s going to be amazing.

Louis turned 30 last week.  He’s not a big fan of cake, but he mentioned his love for Rainbow cookies last month and how they are something he really misses from New York (and from what I found on the internet, many relocated New Yorkers miss).  You can buy them online and have them shipped to you, which is really expensive, or you can make it a labor of love and make them from scratch at home (which isn’t really that complicated).

Turns out, these cake-like cookies are REALLY delicious.  I have never had them before and according to Louis, I did a really good job.  They aren’t as spongy and soft as they’re supposed to be, but I think that’s because I over whipped the batter in an attempt to make a few lumps of almond paste blend in.  Now I know better for next time; which I can’t wait for.

I really like the view out my office window; it faces south, it looks at some nice yards and a part of campus with some beautiful tress, and it allows for some people watching.  Today, it started to snow.  Not that big of a deal and we won’t be getting much, but I love snow and I have been living in Arizona the past four years–I have seriously missed it.

2:44 pm

2:55 pm

3:05

Now at 3:45, there is no snow falling and it looks like there was a heavy dose of confectioner’s sugar sprinkled everywhere.  I want it to look like a thick layer of frosting!

Just looking through this fall’s archive.

On a lighter note (pun not intended).

Sorry, this one is tragic.

I roasted a chicken last week with a Spanish smoked paprika and honey glaze and then made broth from the carcass.  I continued with the paprika theme with this soup; it is really tasty, smokey and basically a chowder.  The paprika in the soup reminds me of northern Arizona (campfires and Ponderosa pines).

1 tbs of butter
1/2 an onion, chopped fine
2 celery ribs, chopped fine
1 large carrot, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbs + 1 tsp of Spanish smoked paprika
6 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
6 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 tbs of salt (or to taste)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Small pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
1 tbs of fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups of frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup of cream

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a 5 quart dutch oven and saute the holy trinity (celery, onions, carrots) until the onions and celery start to soften, then add the garlic.  Mix and saute for about 2 minutes more.  Then incorporate the paprika into the mixture.

Next put your potatoes in the pot and pour the chicken broth in.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Maintain a steady boil for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are really soft and can be easily mashed.  Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, cayenne if using, nutmeg and parsley.

Here’s where you have an option, you can make this a chunky soup and use a potato masher to break up the potato and that’s it.  Or you can blend it a bit to make it thicker soup.  I chose the later and blended with a stick blender after I mashed it.  I just did a few pulses with the blender so it would still have some potato chunks.

Return the pot to low heat and add the corn and the cream.  Warm through and serve.  Makes 6 servings.
(While I was eating some for lunch today, I was thinking some fresh cooked bacon crumbled on top would have been really delicious.)

I’m looking for something…I don’t know what it is yet….

It’s that time of year again.  You know, when pumpkins wrinkle and start to smell bad and Christmas decorations get pulled out of storage (or in the case of this Christmas tree, get peed on by the stray cats that keep watch over it).