Salmon Loin… Roasted Asparagus and Broccoli… Crunchy Tots & Homemade Chocolate Chippers

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Bright sunshiney day…  temps inching up… thermometer shivering up to a couple of degrees above freezing… not enough to melt any of the snow piled high on lawns and curbs… hoping for a brief warm up later in the week

Breakfast on the go…  coffee🧋for two ☕️ and a mini wrap each…dermatology check up early on… bi-annual skin examination…  such a good idea for those of us of a certain age… takes about 40 years for the DNA in skin to being to show sun damage… clear report… again… pleased 😁

Off to the market… picking up groceries to deliver to Mom tomorrow… hit the discount 5 pound bag lottery… scored green leaf lettuce…  squash… peppers…  lemons and limes…  broccoli…  asparagus…  cucumber…  and organic mushrooms…  wheeee ☺️🙃

Tonites supper… roasted salmon loin with roasted asparagus and broccoli 🥦 crunchy tater tots… for dessert… homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies…  leftover oatmeal and butter from yesterdays bars made delicious cookies 🍪 hubs enjoying with a cup of decaf ☕️ tea 🫖 for yours truly 😋

Had a strange encounter at the market today… a woman… searching at the discount produce area…  I join… selecting two items for our home… she reacts… grabbing about 8 bags… sorts through them… puts half back… glares at me then leaves…  couldn’t really see her face… mask… hat… sunglasses… it was… to say the least… odd 🤷🏼‍♀️

Covid still as risk as the number of new infections continues to drop #GetYourJabOn  practice self care… mask up… limit interactions… sail through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Pasta & Meatballs with Crisp Green Salad and Chocolate, Coconut, Peanut Oat Bars

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Post bomb cyclone tonite…  over a foot of snow still on the ground… temps registering below freezing round the clock…  winds 💨 dying down…  bright ineffective sunshine today…  office feeling warm amongst five windows… Mr Sam snuggled up on his carpeted perch absorbing rays ☀️ watching a pair of blue jays in our tree… hopping down to the ground looking for food…  then back to the branch… even bird feet 👣 get cold in the snow ❄️ 

Breakfast… coffee ☕️ for two… the hubs taking his to go… along with a couple of mini wraps and snack of apple and cheese… helping out our son and DIL with a project…  iced java🧋and a few peanuts 🥜 at the office desk…  tying up loose ends from the sale of Mom’s home and contents… getting ready for tax season 😩

Finally past 5pm… off to the kitchen to let the creative juices flow…  pasta… meatballs and homemade sauce with shredded Parmesan & crisp green salad with hydroponic basil… for dessert… chocolate, coconut, peanut oat bars and decaf for the hubs 😋

Heartbreaking milestone today… covid has stolen 1,000,000 souls from America.  We grieve as a nation this immeasurable loss of life and the insurmountable toll it has taken on the families affected  #GetYourJabOn  one life lost is one too many… mask up… limit interactions… fly through the market and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Winter White Bean & Sausage Soup

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Shopping at the market… done ✔️ 

Snow shovels brought in from the garage… done ✔️ 

Water greenhouse plants… rosemary and thyme… done ✔️ 

Situate deck furniture against strong winds… done ✔️ 

Fill up car tank with gas… done ✔️ 

Ready for our nor’easter bomb cyclone 🌀 

Our area in north queens near the Long Island Sound expecting roughly 12” snow accompanied by winds about 35 mph… possibly gusting to 50 mph

We will be dealing with the snow tonite through about 2pm Saturday…

Eastern Long Island up through Boston area expecting about 24” snow and winds at about 50 mph gusting even higher dealing with the storm until about 10 pm Saturday 

Breakfast… coffee for two… his hot ☕️ with eggs and toast… hers iced🧋with a turkey mini wrap… the hubs off to his workshop to clean & repair our leaky washing machine…  finally able to see clearly after dilation wore off… took care of remaining mail and calls that couldn’t be done yesterday…

What to do when a storm bears down on NYC?  Make Winter White Bean and Sausage soup… so warming and comforting on this blustery snowy night… served alongside toasted whole wheat pita and a frosty Modelo Negro 🍺 

Covid still a risk… new infections declining slowly across the US…  hospitalizations and deaths expected to follow in the next weeks… fingers crossed that this wave will end soon 🤞 #GetYourJabOn  mask up… limit interactions… buzz through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What on your plate?   Thoughts?

Pork Chops in Grape Tomato Gravy with Quinoa

 Vaccinated supper tonite…  Live from NYC…

Bright sunshine streaming through the windows… temps in the mid 30’s… light breeze… squirrel 🐿 family out and about fattening up before the big storm…  

Breakfast on the run…  the hubs downing yogurt and blueberries… a quick glass of water and off we go…  

First time for a complete eye exam… been experiencing large globular floating clouds in the field of view… making sure the eyeballs are okay…  spent about an hour looking away from the VERY bright light shining into dilated pupils…  finding out that… aside from frustration at the large floating clouds… all is normal and okay with the eyeballs 👀 

So very glad the hubs came along… just in case… stepped outside into the BRIGHT sunshine and 💥 pow 💥 sunglasses not nearly enough!!  Straight home to avoid searing the now totally dilated pupils…  ever take an overexposed photo in a sunlit room?  How the light seems to glow around objects and expand from the windows?  Yup… spending the remainder of the day out of the office…  too many windows!!  Didn’t matter...  can’t read…  life is blurry…  hubs looking in the eyeballs 👀 getting creeped out 🤣

Supper tonite…  carefully slicing grape tomatoes for the sauce after searing the pork chops…  still blurry…  farro was easy…  didn’t need to see much… putting it all on the plate… tried chopping the blurry parsley 🌿 Got it all on the plate and even took a photo!  Looking blurry tonite?  Sorry…  couldn’t really see much… but tasting pretty good 😋

Sarah Palin on the news tonite… positive for covid… dining in NYC in an outdoor enclosure on the upper west side…  please folks… if you KNOW you’re positive… please stay home… be selfish… don’t share your germs 🦠 

#GetYourJabOn  mask up… limit interactions… fly through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What on your plate?   Thoughts?

Mozzarella and Sun Dried Tomato Tortellini over Weeknight Turkey Bolognese

 Vaccinated supper tonite…. Live from NYC…

Bright sun…  thermometer soaring into the mid 40’s giving us a glimpse of spring…  squirrel babies chasing one another in the trees… mama 🐿 on the deck rail munching acorns…  packing it in before the cold arrives tonite…  sparrows… starlings… mockingbirds taking advantage of the warmth

Breakfast… hot java ☕️ for him… iced🧋for her… 4” pancakes 🥞 a rarity…  on the menu…  hand size… perfect for nibbling…  made by the hubs 🥰

Catching up on mail… calls… paperwork…  reviewing documents…  so glad to be able to enjoy sunshine through office windows… Mr Sam snoozing on his carpeted window perch… soaking in the rays ☀️ 

Hubs exercising his knee… tending to his hydroponic garden… todays harvest… fresh parsley 🌿 fragrant and delicate 

Supper tonite…  fresh mozzarella and sun dried tomato tortellini over weeknight turkey bolognese…  with hydroponic parsley… a delightful Pinot Noir alongside 🍷 so filling and soul soothing 🍝 

This pandemic isn’t done with humanity just yet…  another new variant may be popping up here in the US…  take your health seriously folks #GetYourJabOn  it’s important… mask up... limit interactions… glide through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Falafel… Hummus and Salad

 Vaccinated supper tonite…. Live from NYC…

A break in the action…  temps climbing into the mid 30’s…  feeling almost mild in comparison to the windy frigid air… at the edge of the deck a little pile of acorn shells… mama squirrel 🐿 using the space for a lunch spot…  few sparrows on the garage roof sunning 

Breakfast on the go…  taking a drive out to eastern Long Island… quick trip to the doctor for a check up…. seems we shall live another year 🤣  Visiting a  Lidl market in that area…  a bit larger store…  well stocked…   hubs first experience with Lidl…  sweet to join me… it is a food market after all  🛒 more exciting to the family cook 🧑‍🍳 picking up lots of goodies for the weeks meals

Stopping for a quick bite 🥪 and coffee ☕️ prior to driving back home… a delightful break from routine on a sunny ☀️ day

Supper tonite… meatless Monday… falafel with hummus and a big salad…  filling and fast… a glass of Sauvignon Blanc alongside…  dessert… a schoggi bun each with tea 🫖 for two

Covid continuing to dominate the news… infections seemingly slowing… waiting impatiently for the next lull between surges for the chance to take a short local trip… feeling the need for a brief getaway?  Us too 😫 Seems like the pandemic may continue for a while longer 😩 #GetYourJabOn  folks… practice self care… mask up… limit interactions… zoom through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What on your plate?   Thoughts?

Carrot Cake & Schoggliweggili

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

A weekend of cold days… perfect opportunity to play in the kitchen…

Special thanks to Beth Benson… your post showing the Swiss chocolate buns (schoggiweggili) motiving these results…  so delicious… a first foray into enriched yeast dough…  a successful outcome… so pleased 😋

Another first… carrot cake with cream cheese frosting 🥕 recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction…  subbed out the toasted pecans with dried cranberries… delicious… other than orange carrot juice splattered all over the kitchen countertop 🤣 another successful bake…  not usually such a sloppy baker 🤷🏼‍♀️ ah well… post clean up… so worth it in the end 

Supper tonite… chicken in a delicious lemon cream sauce with roasted veggies… pappardelle and salad… enjoying a wonderful evening with dear friends… who also happen to be fabulous cooks…  the little schoggis brought over…  a delightful dessert 😋

New covid infections in the northeast declining…  those in hospital 🏥 over 92% unvaccinated…  the remainder of the US still experiencing the worst of the omicron wave #GetYourJabOn  and get boosted…  protect your health… it’s irreplaceable… mask up… limit interactions… zoom through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Salmon and Curly Fries with Red Cabbage & Carrot Slaw

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Back in the freezer…  thermometer 🌡 shivering up to a high of 23°F (-5°C) with a brisk wind feeling like little needles on exposed skin…  zoomed out to throw away the trash… outside for less than 15 seconds…  absolutely frigid 🥶 

Breakfast…. Hot java for two ☕️ the hubs enjoying his cottage cheese alongside…  exciting arrival today…  ordered Dark Rye flour earlier in the week… came today…  planning to attempt pumpernickel bread sometime next week… meanwhile flour is lounging in the freezer unaware of the task ahead

Spending a bit of time attending to paperwork…  calls…  grateful for the five windows surrounding the office desk… streaming sunlight warming the bones making for more pleasant tasks.  Wondering whether birds feel the chill… watching them flying from tree branch to grass… pecking the ground… seemingly unmoved by the biting cold 🤷🏼‍♀️

Orange Supper tonite…  roasted salmon with old bay seasoning…  curly fries…  red cabbage, carrot and red onion slaw…  alongside a glass of Line 39 Sauvignon Blanc…  dessert…  an cider donut 🍩 each…  hot steaming tea for the hubs…  he’s been feeling the bitter cold more so lately…  needing that hot cup of tea to warm him 🫖 

Sharing a bit of information from a Connecticut ICU nurse…

“We are seeing tons of people in the hospital who had the initial Covid vaccines but didn’t get the booster with omicron.

Some very ill and not with the cold like symptoms that the government would like you to believe but days with fever, cough, and yes dying as well… we are overwhelmed in our ER at all CT Hospitals. Unfortunately the daily positivity rate is skewed because more people are testing at home and not reporting results. If you are symptomatic, test on days 1,3,5 after symptoms surface. In the hospitals we are seeing people negative day one but then positive on days 3 or 5, it’s everywhere”

Please folks… pay attention to what is happening all over the US… listen to the nurses and doctors  #GetYourJabOn   your health is irreplaceable… mask up… limit interactions… fly through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?    Thoughts?

Chicken with Tomatoes and Onions and Roasted Red Potatoes and Salad

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Back in the freezer tonite  18°F (- 8°C)  baby it’s cccccold outside 🥶  right now it’s super quiet too… no cars or trucks 🛻 no folks driving or walking… no one playing tunes… just wonderful silence…  such a peaceful feeling…  enjoying the solitude… listening to the wind 💨 

Breakfast today… coffee ☕️ for two… his hot with oatmeal… her iced with a straw…  had a visit from friends today stopping by for a coffee and a chat… lovely interruption… definitely need more of those…  afterward…  back to  paperwork and calls…  making sure all ‘i’s’ are dotted and ‘t’s’ crossed and nothing falls through the cracks…  so many little details  ~sigh~  caring for Mom and managing her finances 🥰 a job paid for with love ❤️

Supper tonite…  chicken breasts marinated in red wine vinegar, olive oil, thyme, garlic, onion, salt and pepper… cooked over a bed of grape tomatoes and vidalia onions… after roasting… tomatoes, onions and juices simmered in a pan until reduced by half… served alongside oven roasted red potatoes and a crisp green salad with creamy balsamic dressing…  simple and delicious 😋

Vaccine hesitancy has been responsible for the fast rise in hospitalizations of the omicron covid variant… over 92% of those seriously ill are unvaccinated…  folks… this pandemic isn’t over yet… it’s likely omicron won’t be the last variant…  the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed 50 million people lasted 5 years… let’s end this scourge by being personally responsible  #GetYourJabOn  our health care workers are exhausted… mask up… limit interactions… fly through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?  What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Nacho Turkey Skillet and Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chippers

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Back into the chill chest today… mid 30’s…  mixed sun and clouds… running a few errands… shivering in the cold car waiting for heat…  hubs snugged up in his fleece hoodie… gloves and scarf… both of us frozen fish 🐟 Squirrels  out today… snack time… Momma getting really fat… couple of the babies out… one jumping tree top to tree top…  barely holding on to a skinny swaying branch as she landed…  tail twitching as she scurries up the trunk 

Breakfast… hot coffee ☕️ for two… hubs enjoying breakfast burrito…  banana on the run for yours truly…  picking up a small cabinet today gifted from a neighbor…  two shelves….  glass doors…  perfect for storing first aid supplies…  replacing an old computer desk 💻 

Supper tonite…  nacho skillet…  new recipe…. sautéed ground turkey…  salt, pepper, chili powder, coriander, cumin, red pepper flake…  black beans…  small tomato sauce…  1/2 c rice… 2 1/2 c water… simmer covered for 20 minutes…  stir in grated sharp cheddar… sprinkle additional cheese over the top…  voilá… dinner on the table in 40 minutes… alongside… salsa verde and a few tortilla chips made from corn tortillas baked in the oven with a little olive oil… crunchy!!  

Later on a hankering for something sweet…  hacked off a few inches from  frozen cookie dough…  leftover from Xmas…  defrosted on the counter 15 minutes…   oven preheating to 375°F…  sliced thickly ~1” and quartered…  each triangle making one cookie 🍪  Baked 10 minutes…  cooled on the pan 10 minutes…  Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chippers…  so yummy 😋 

Covid declining again in NYC… new infections less than half of last week… 92% of all hospitalizations unvaccinated #GetYourJabOn  your health is irreplaceable… friend in Florida in hospital with covid and double pneumonia… scary times… mask up… limit interactions…  sail through the market and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?    Thoughts?

Beef Stew Redux with Chopped Romaine… Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad & Whole Wheat Pita

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Almost balmy in the Big Soggy Apple 🍎 post 8 hours of driving rain last night… thermometer 🌡 scrambling to 40°F after the deep bone chilling cold of the past days…  squirrels back out… hungrily munching acorns 🌰 birds chattering in the trees… glimmers of life returning once again 🐿 

Breakfast delayed… blood draws requiring fasting early on… stopping at the market for a few bits and bobs…  finally back home for that delightful coffee ☕️ and snack… SCORE!!  Lucky day in the produce aisle… 5 lbs for $2 bags of tomatoes 🍅 romaine 🥬 cucumbers 🥒 oranges 🍊& acorn squash…  recreating our supper menu to utilize the bounty

Supper tonite…  remaining beef stew with chopped romaine leaves over extra wide egg noodles…  tomato 🍅 avocado 🥑 cucumber 🥒 red onion 🧅 salad with hydroponic basil and mustard & black olive tapenade vinaigrette… served along side whole wheat pita bread and a glass of Line 39 Sauvignon Blanc 🥂 Delightfully warming 

Spent a little time online…. ordering dark rye flour and vital gluten flour… aiming to make some Dark Russian Pumpernickel when it all arrives in a couple of weeks… fingers crossed 🤞 that it’s delicious 😋 

Covid cases declining in NYC… new cases almost 50% lower than last week… fingers crossed for the trend to continue…  unvaxxed accounting for virtually all hospitalizations #GetYourJabOn  your health is irreplaceable… mask up… limit interactions… fly through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Beef Stew & Chick Pea Avocado Tomato Salad

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Frigid arctic air roaming down from Canada today…  afternoon high 19°F… just balmy…  tonite diving into the single digits… even the thermometer 🌡 is shivering… sitting in the office… ineffective sun behind the haze of clouds… vanilla skies… no warmth to be had… even the squirrels 🐿 and birds hiding from the cold 🥶

Breakfast… hot coffee ☕️ for two… mini wrap for the hubs… toasted english muffin with Gouda down the hatch… sorting through mail… bills… the never ending tide of paperwork… by late afternoon… enough! 

Off to the kitchen for playtime…  beef stew… a five hour marathon… just the thing for a freezing cold day…  picked up a beautiful bottom round roast at the market in anticipation of beef stew this week.  

Trimming… cubing… removing every trace of silver skin… that stuff turns into rubber bands… never softens… salt, pepper, flour… into the pot a few at a time…  browning and creating that fond we love so much…  meat out into a bowl… into the pot… diced onion… celery…  diced bok choy stems… salt and pepper… softening… add garlic… smells divine…  deglazing with red wine… nose over pot for a big sniff…  aaaahhh… adding in chicken stock…  meat… as Anne Burrell says, “bring to boil… reduce to simmer” in goes the bouquet garni…  fresh rosemary, thyme and bay leaves…  almost froze myself going into the greenhouse to get them… 

And so it goes for two hours… meat is fork tender…  slicing fresh carrots… in they go… 15 minutes… stirring in the chopped bok choy and celery leaves off the heat… Done!!  Serving over extra wide egg noodles… mmmm… the definition of comforting and warming on this very cold night… alongside a salad of chick peas red onion avocado and tomato with balsamic vinaigrette and a lovely glass of Claret 🍷 Cheers 

Covid still climbing across the US… this surge of Omicron the most infectious yet…  NYC numbers finally falling… fingers crossed 🤞 

#GetYourJabOn  your health is irreplaceable… mask up… limit interactions… sail through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Gyoza… Black Lentil Soup… Tomato Cucumber Olive Red Onion Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Pork Chops

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Another day here in the Big Chilly Apple…  thermometer 🌡 topping out near 40°F mid afternoon…  falling off a cliff tonite… expecting a low of 15°F…  aaaaack… deep winter is upon us…  a mere 17 days until the end of the Persephone phase when we will enjoy 10 hours of sunlight once again.   Have you noticed the days lengthening?  Just a couple of weeks ago it was DARK at 4:30 pm 😩 in just a few short months it will be light out until after 9pm once again… aaaaahhh ☺️

Breakfast… hot java ☕️ and cottage cheese for the hubs…  feeling adventurous with an iced coffee🧋at the desk surrounded by five windows 🪟 sun streaming in… easy to forget that baby it’s cold outside!! A few munster cubes to munch 😋

Spent the day unfolding the 10’X13’ Persian rug we had shipped from Tucson…  arriving in pristine condition…  padding and all…  including one well preserved dead beetle…   who has now been added to the NYC sewer system…  with dignity and flair…   rug and padding now gracing our living room floor atop the oriental already there…   need to figure out where to relocate one of the two rugs?  That conundrum waits for another day 🤔

Supper last night including an appetizer of leek and potato gyoza dumplings… delicious… along with leftovers from the weeks cooking… fridge clean out suppers can be such fun!

Tonites supper…  black lentil soup…  incredibly warming…  tomato olive cucumber red onion salad with fresh mozzarella and balsamic glaze…  humongous bone in pork chops with mustard bread crumb dressing…  hubs enjoying the chops after a hard days work moving furniture to accommodate the new carpet 

Covid cases on the decline here in NYC… seeming to indicate our surge has peaked… hoping…  although across the US cases continue to spike inundating hospitals and health care systems #GetYourJabOn  don’t risk your health… majority of vaccinated folks experiencing infection as a cold… unvaxxed often requiring hospitalization…  mask up… limit interactions… gallop through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?  What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Chicken… Sprouts… Rainbow Carrots… Yams… Cream of Celeriac and Fennel Soup

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Coldest day in a looong time… afternoon high 19°F (- 7°C) nighttime low 11°F (- 12°C) just brutal…  the brisk wind feeling like icicles stinging exposed skin…  stepped out for under one minute to toss the trash 🥶 soooo cold…and yet… the mega flock of grackles arriving once again during late afternoon...  swooping down… hearing the pitter pats of their little feet… landing on roofs… lawns… sidewalks… chattering… pecking acorns… easily close to 500 birds… an amazing sight 😲

Breakfast… hot java ☕️ for two… the hubs enjoying his with a breakfast burrito 🌯 last piece of cranberry cornbread munched before flying out the door to the market…  didn’t score any 5 lb goodie bags in produce today… shelves were less full than usual… some items out of stock…  able to fill most items… over 90% of employees and shoppers fully masked… a few having noses out… don’t understand that one bit…  most aisles pretty empty… one or two other shoppers about… picking up for our needs and Moms… to be delivered tomorrow 🙃

Came home to find the hubs had emptied the dishwasher and fixed a shirt for me… he is the sweetest guy ever… just love him 💞

Supper tonite…  cream of celeriac and fennel soup… a find in the freezer…  mashed yams…  oven roasted sprouts and rainbow carrots…  baked balsamic and mustard chicken cutlets… just what was needed on a cold night 🍜 

Mr Sam snoozing by the radiator… trying to stay warm on this extremely cold night 🙀💕

Dr Anthony Fauci… head of the NIH and renounced virologist who has been keeeping us apprised throughout the pandemic…  announced today that Omicron is so infectious that those who are not vaxxed and boosted will ultimately contract the virus 🦠 He believes that many of us who are fully vaxxed may experience break through cases… probably experiencing it as a nasty cold #GetYourJabOn  don’t take the risk of contracting long covid… a debilitating form of the disease attacking internal organs and the brain… mask up… limit interactions… zoom though the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What on your plate?    Thoughts?

Chili Night… Cranberry Corn Bread and Salsa Verde

 Vaccinated supper tonite…. Live from NYC…

Cold clear skies… light winds… bright sunshine… temps climbing to just above  40°F 🌡 Warm enough to melt much of the snow…  icy on the back deck… squirrels 🐿 and birds seemingly oblivious to winters chill 🥶 

Breakfast… hot coffee ☕️ for two… the hubs enjoying his cottage cheese…  not feeling hungry just yet…  watering houseplants… slipping out to the icy deck to check on the greenhouse ahead of tonites frigid temps…  harvesting the last of the snap peas and radishes… so crunchy and fresh… giving all the plants a quick drink before dashing back inside…  heat lamp keeping the temps just barely above freezing

A bit of playtime in the kitchen…  bag of tomatillos needing attention…  making salsa verde…  it’s chili night…  baking cranberry corn bread to go with…  popping an ale in the fridge to accompany the chili…  sautéing  onions…   garlic…  2 lbs ground pork...  lots of spices…  28 oz can of tomato purée…  more seasonings…  adding in 12 oz beer…  28 oz dark red kidney beans…  simmer about 30 minutes…  topping with grated sharp cheddar…  mmmmm…  like a hug in a bowl 🤗 

Covid pandemic has negatively effected our nations blood supply…  hospitals are in dire need of blood 🩸 If you are healthy and able…  please donate…  give someone the gift of life…  take care of yourself as well #GetYourJabOn  in the interim… mask up… limit interactions… trot through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Cranberry Orange Marmalade… Marbled Banana Bread… Salmon with Spanakopita Coil and Snoozing Sam

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Climbing out of the 20’s early morning…  reached almost  40°F everywhere  it’s drip drip drip… snow and ice slowly melting away…  creaking on the deck… the boards flexing under the weight…  lots of birds about… a pair of bluebirds frolicking in the trees… hopping from branch to branch…  mama squirrel out foraging… she has those babies to feed… pigeons in the neighbors gutters pecking at seeds and leaves under the snow… 

Breakfast... coffee ☕️ for two… steaming hot on a chilly morning… cottage cheese and berries for the hubs… toasted english muffin with Gouda a warm accompaniment to the hot java…  Mr Sam finding warm spots on the wood floor (over the steam pipes) to snooze 💤😽

Lazy Sunday… the hubs in his workshop creating interesting projects to enhance his hydroponic farm… adding two additional set ups… one for tomatoes… another for root vegetables… currently radishes… later… carrots🥕 

Play day in the kitchen…  cranberry orange marmalade…  using up that last bag of cranberries left from Christmas baking spree…  cooking the marmalade to 217°F (103°C) allowing the sugars and natural pectins to gel…

marbled banana bread…  utilizing four more of the huge bag of ripe bananas the market sells for $2…  froze an additional eight bananas…  wouldn’t get to use them in time…  this chocoholic added in extra cocoa and chocolate chips… of course 😋

Supper tonite…  leftover beef barley soup…  so warming and cozy…  baked spanakopita coil…  lovely appetizer… crunchy and delicious…  roasted salmon loins with old bay seasoning…  a glass of Casual Garcia Vinho Verde alongside…  dessert… a choice…. Marbled Banana Bread for him…  Cherry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread for her 🙃

Between Omicron… Delta and the Flu...  we have a large population of sick folks in the US today…  take care of yourself… wear your mask… use sanitizer…  keep your distance…  and when you get home… wash your hands and face…  we need folks to give our overwhelmed hospital system a break as the surge continues…  if you aren’t… #GetYourJabOn  it’s not too late for covid vaxxes or the flu… mask up… limit interactions... fly through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Beef Barley Soup

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Bright azure skies…  few clouds…  nothing to contain the suns warmth…  thermometer shivered up to 30°F (-1°C) mid afternoon… then slide back to 20°F (- 7°C) by nightfall… whatever snow remains currently frozen solid…  little squirrel footprints 👣 dotting the backyard and deck…  haven’t seen our local squirrel family…  but evidence showing their rompings remains

Breakfast… hot coffee ☕️ for two…  eggs and toast for the hubs…  toasted english muffin with Gouda filling that little space in the tummy…  so glad to have five windows surrounding the office desk…  sun pouring in warming both the office and Mr Sam snoozing on his window perch…  paperwork interspersed with laundry 🧺 too cold to venture out…  enjoying a quiet day… the hubs working in his shop… a new creative project soon to be birthed

Supper tonite… beef barley soup (special thanks to Barbara Goostree for the inspiration) with carrots 🥕 celery… some ground turkey found lounging in the fridge…  alongside quesadillas with jalapeño jack and sharp cheddar… nothing like soup and sandwich on a cold winters day 🍜 🥪 

Omicron raging out of control across the US… NY surpassed 90,000 new cases just today…  over 90% of hospitalizations among the unvaccinated…  now is the time #GetYourJabOn  and get boosted…  believe the science… guess why we don’t have polio any longer??  Vaccines 💉 

Mask up… limit interactions… sail through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Ground Turkey with Roasted Tomatoes and Eggplant & Shell Pasta with Wedge Salad

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Bright sunny morning… light breeze… cool temps in the high 30’s… clouds accumulating through the day… tonite comes the snow… wind… and deep cold… at this moment… so quiet… the snow has just begun…  few cars… no one about… just a steady stream of flakes wafting to the ground 

Breakfast… coffee ☕️ for two… mini turkey wraps… one to go… off to the market to shop for Mom… a few odds and ends for us…  couple of 5 lbs for $2 bags of goodies… plantains… tomatoes and lettuce…  rainbow carrots and eggplant…  stocking Mom up before the snow tonite…  she is healthy… a bit frustrated as there is an outbreak of omicron in her complex canceling all activities 😳🙁

Supper tonite…  produce goodies informing meal prep…  roasting the fresh tomatoes… eggplant…  sautéing ground turkey… adding in a few ounces of shell pasta… a little wine… salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, red pepper flake… loving that little poke of heat…  the lettuce cut into quarters for a wedge salad with tomato and Bleu cheese dressing… a little more wine…  adjusting the seasonings after adding in the roasted tomatoes and eggplant… a bit more wine and voilá supper is served 🥂

This first three covid surges of types alpha, beta (UK variant) and delta were frightening as folks got quite ill and many passed away…  we knew many  who caught the virus…  a few passed…  some became very ill but eventually recovered 🦠 However…  nothing prepared us for the level of contagion of omicron… it has spread like wildfire through our community…  many have become quite ill… a few unvaxxed hospitalized… several contracting covid and the flu simultaneously  #GetYourJabOn  folks… get boosted…  this is coming to your  town…  your neighborhood…  your family…  protect your loved ones…  listen to the science…  mask up…  limit interactions…  skate through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Winter White Bean & Sausage Soup… Banana Cherry Chocolate Chip Spice Bread… Venison with Pearl Couscous & Roasted Carrots

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

And so it begins…  temps dropping from 59°F to 29°F from yesterday to today… wind kicking up… feeling like icicles against the skin…  mama squirrel and her kits no where to be seen… folks wrapped in scarves… hoodies pulled up… hands buried in gloves or pockets… heads down against the onslaught 🥶

Breakfast… hot coffee ☕️ for two…  the hubs cottage cheese and blackberries chilling his tummy…  snuggling on the couch to warm up while we chatted over plans for the day…  time to pay bills… pick up a few groceries at the market…  schedule appointments…  holiday break officially ending 🥺

Late afternoon buzzing over to the market… frigid wind taking its toll… grateful for the mask keeping the face warm…  few folks out…  perfect time to shop… no lines… picked up a few 5 lbs for $2 bags of vegetables… potatoes… bananas…  onions… tomatoes…  broccoli… tomatillos…  the bonanza 😄 making it worth the trip

Supper tonite…  winter white bean and sausage soup…  a satisfying mix of hot and sweet sausages…  cannellini beans…  homemade chicken stock… white wine…  sautéed onions and garlic…  and greens… this time arugula… wilted into the pot off the heat just prior to serving…  served alongside fresh biscuits… warming, simple and delicious 😋 (recipe in comments)

So proud of our son and DIL… made a delicious venison steak topped with chimichurri served alongside pearl couscous and roasted carrots… healthy and scrumptious… what terrific cooks they’ve both become 🥰

Dessert… playing with flavors… banana cherry chocolate chip spice bread… so moist and flavorful…  dried cherries…  overripe bananas…  dark and semi sweet chocolate chips…  cinnamon… felt concerned about the combination of flavors… but it was yummy… so pleased 

Covid infections out of control…  new cases in the US breaking records every day…  hospitalizations among the unvaccinated rising quickly overwhelming hospitals in many states…  this is the time to get boosted… not vaxxed? Value your health… it’s irreplaceable #GetYourJabOn   Meanwhile… mask up… limit interactions… fly through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Roasted Tail-on Shrimp… Brussel Sprouts… Haricots Verts and Brown Basmati Rice

Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC… 

Dense fog overnight…  early morning showers…  overcast grey skies…  a gloomy day in the Big Soggy Apple 🍎  Our local squirrel having a late litter of kits…  appearing for the first time today…  lots of hopping in the grass…  along tree branches…  exploring their new environment for the first time…  momma squirrel out munching fallen acorns…  fattening up for the long winter ahead…  ready to keep her babies fed and warm 🐿

Breakfast… coffee ☕️ for two… his… hot with cottage cheese blackberries and a banana…  hers iced🧋with a corn muffin to go…  popped over to visit Mom…  a late afternoon break from errands…  picked up a stunning board from our local Buy Nothing group… burnished Malaysian teak…  perfect for charcuterie 😋 in pristine condition ⭐️ 

Supper tonite…  roasted tail on shrimp over brown basmati rice with haricot verts and brussel sprouts…  light…  flavorful…  shared the last of the trifle for dessert…  along with a cup of decaf ☕️ for the hubs 🥰

Another day of surging covid infections…  NYC average positivity rate well over 20% highest it’s been since pre-vaccination days…  virtually all hospitalizations and deaths attributable to unvaccinated folks…  value your health… it’s irreplaceable #GetYourJabOn   and boosted too…  mask up… limit interactions…  sail through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?