Carrot Muffins

Quarantine activities of the day...  Live from NYC...
Today was the last day of gentle weather before the onslaught of heat and humidity for the beginning of the week...  tomorrow begins the pain...  heat...  mugginess and sweat (ooops...  perspiration...  ladies don’t sweat 😂)

Earlier in the week the hubs requested red cabbage slaw with his supper...  unsure of exactly how much carrot might be needed purchased an extra bag of shredded carrot...  tonite they became carrot muffins...  big muffins...  mini muffins cause, why not?

What is it about nighttime baking?  Is it becoming a thing lately?  Great stress reliever...  instant gratification (eating the results)...  this particular recipe has healthy stuff in it so feeling better about that too...

Supper was leftovers from last nights seared pork tenderloin with a small side of brown rice and a crisp green salad... followed our weekly visit to Mom...  she is doing well, looking alert...  happy to see us both...  reading her way through another big pile of books...  walking two sets of 8 laps around her apartment daily...

Watching the weather as two tropical storms aim for the Louisiana gulf shores...  fingers crossed that the area makes it through intact...  so concerned for folks dealing with COVID and now double barrel storms...
How was your day?   What’s did you do today?   Thoughts?

Seared Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Potatoes, Orange fennel Salad, Rice Pudding

Quarantine activities of the day...  Live from NYC...

Quarantine supper tonite...  Live from NYC... 

Today was the last of the coolish temps here in the Big Apple...  tomorrow the heat and humidity return... with pop up thunderstorms to boot...

The hubs helped the kids install a new front door this morning... so pretty... a beautiful teal color...  love it! Makes the front of their home look polished...   and with their refinished stoop and walkway, the place is beautifully refreshed!  Proud mama moment 💞 

While the hubs napped this afternoon the food foray got completed...  it is so much less stressful than the initial phase when NYC was the hotspot and we were all terrified...  everyone is masked up...  plenty of hand sanitizer everywhere...  stores are spotless...  major improvements...

Prior to leaving for the market the pork tenderloin was placed in a zipper bag with salt, pepper, garlic flake, onion flake, turmeric, paprika, Cajun spice blend and olive oil...  a massage and into containment in the fridge to marinate...  

After the groceries were put away and all the clean up done... the pork got a good sear in the cast iron while the potatoes roasted and the salad was chopped...  30 minutes later supper was served...  rice pudding was made at 2am last night when I couldn’t find a dessert I liked...  luckily there was plenty left...  late night desserts 🍨 rock!

Register to VOTE!! 

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

Enchiladas

Quarantine supper tonite...  Live from NYC...
Enchilada night here in the Big Apple... time to clean out the fridge...  use up all those bits and bobs of meals hanging around in continainers...  make something new and delicious...  and thus supper was born...

Now that the painting is finished, today was a chance to relax...   complete necessary paperwork...  make a few phone calls...  spend time in the garden fussing over the babies.  Cucumbers are beginning to appear...  currently about 1” long...  second tomato plantings beginning to show tiny fruit...   turnip greens growing large...  it’s thrilling to watch all the babies grow and flourish...

The Democratic Convention has finished...  the message...  rebuilding and reuniting well received...  Monday begins the Republican Convention...  curious to hear the platform and plans for America...  listening with an open mind to all points of view...  so important at this time of crisis to decide which party truly reflects the values and beliefs we feel will benefit our nation...
Hearing both sides...  not living in an echo chamber of sameness...
Something every voter should do for their own peace of mind...
How was your day?   What’s on your plate?  Thoughts?

Steak, Salad, Elote & Roasted Onions and Tomatoes

Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...
ITS FINISHED!!  Came back from a visit to the dentist (yuck!) and 💥POW💥
there it was...  our 1927 original clapboard and cedar shake house looking all fresh and new again (before and after photos attached) Time to celebrate!
Busted out the steaks for the grill...  let them sit on a sheet pan to thaw while  circling the house in amazement.

Weather was a dream today...  temps in the high 70’s...  low humidity...  tonight’s low will be 66°F...  feels like fall...  but don’t be fooled...  Sunday the heat and humidity will be roaring back and 90°F is forecasted...  

Our salad was capped off by delicious tomatoes from the greenhouse and basil tips from our monster plant...  trying to keep it sweet by pruning...
the hubs made elote on the grill...  swear I could eat just corn for supper when it’s made this way, right?  Medium rare steaks... caramelized onion and roasted tomato slices atop the steaks...  leftover tomato goat cheese tart...  and a glass of Pinot noir to round out the meal.

Watching President Obama last night brought back so many feelings...  America hasn’t had a statesman in the White House for over three years...
surprised at how much tone and words of leadership soothe the raw nerves...  so much to grieve now...  so many lives lost to COVID...  we have missed the kindness and gentleness of leadership at a time when it is badly needed...  Bush after 9/11...  Obama after Sandy...
How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

IT’S FINISHED

Quarantien activities of the day...   Live from NYC...
ITS FINISHED!!  Looks so much better...  from hovel (after pressure washing) to home!  Came back from a visit to the dentist (yuck!) to find the painters had cleaned up and finished.  What a joy!  We cannot recommend R&R Painting enough...  profesional...  courteous...  high quality...  reliable and honest...  what else could anyone want in a contractor?

For interior and exterior painting...  Richie Ruscillo...  here’s a link...

https://www.angieslist.com/companylist/us/ny/carle-pl/r-and-r-painting-reviews-6515119.htm

Ina Garten’s Tomato & Goat Cheese Tart and Marián Burros Orange and Fennel Salad

Quarantine supper tonite...  Live from NYC...
We are nearing the finish line here in the Big Painted Apple...  today was stunning...  temps in the low 80’s... low humidity and blue skies above.  We are having a much deserved moment here in NYC...  delightful weather through the next couple of days...  enjoying it while it lasts...  weekend portends heat and humidity once again...

The painting crew are almost finished...  house looks amazing (photos tomorrow) dark grey shakes pop against bright white planks...  the garage and a few last windows on the house remain...

The deck plants and greenhouse have come through the paint job without a hitch...  crew was super careful and considerate...  so important to this budding farm gal...

greenhouse update:  cucumber plants climbing high on their frame...  turnip greens almost 6” tall...  second tomato plantings showing flowers and third plantings almost 8” tall...  arugula will be ready for snipping in another week or so...  it’s time to pull the radishes and replant for round two...  snap peas second planting are just beginning to hold their stake...  eggplants are beginning new fruits...  did you know that eggplants are technically a berry???

Supper tonite was Ina Garten’s tomato and goat cheese tart served alongside Marián Burros orange and fennel salad...  the only change I made to Ina’s recipe was to roast the tomato slices with olive oil salt and pepper prior to building the tart...  the sweet jamminess of the tomatoes was a perfect counterpoint to the fresh acidity of the salad...

Got an alert today that the post office saga is coming to a close...  yay... no further actions against mail delivery through the election...  what about undoing all the equipment removals?  A few hundred sorting machines removed?  Many mailboxes removed?  Hoping this too will be righted...  hunting for a mailbox isn’t my favorite pastime...  ~sigh~  Hoping the post office can clear the backlog before the months end...  don’t want to receive my bills late...

NYC schools may re-open after Labor Day 1-3 days per week for the first months...  parents can opt for all home schooling as well...   such confusion and fear...  it’s overwhelming...  what is your area doing?
How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Cold Fish Supper & Black Swallowtail Butterfies

Quarantine supper tonite...  Live from NYC...
Friday night we were going to have a cold fish supper...  then chili happened...  thought we’d have it Sunday after our visit with Mom...  however Saturday night our neighbor had a bbq and celebrated his name day...   delicious Greek food gifted to us made for a simple Sunday night supper...  still hadn’t had our cold fish supper...  sooooo....

Tonite we finally enjoyed...  Italian tuna in olive oil, sardines, red cabbage slaw, potato salad with peas and corn (thanks Danicha  )boiled eggs with mayo and anchovies, garden tomatoes and radishes, cucumber, endive leaves, romaine and basil...  the hubs and I shared a toasted whole wheat bagel and the last of a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc...

The weather was delightful through the day...  temps in the low 80’s...  humidity at comfortable levels...  all the greenhouse babies healthy & growing...  we had a magnificent visitor in the garden today...  a black swallowtail butterfly...  I’m glad I got to see her since she ate ALL my parsley...   drying her wings on the lavender stems...  she rested for a while then flew off...  probably to visit another garden...  did you know butterflies taste with their feet?

By 8:30pm the skies opened up and a deluge arrived complete with thunder and lightening...  spectacular!  Don’t you just love rainstorms?

The painters have completed phase 4...  the shakes are stained and painted a lovely dark grey...  the roof line moldings are painted white...  tomorrow begins the painting of the planks bright white in an eggshell finish...  I must say their work quality is top notch...  so very pleased thus far...

Florida...  Georgia...  Arizona...  Texas...  California...  North Carolina...   Tennessee...  Illinois...  Ohio...  we feel your pain here in the Big Apple...  we were a COVID hot spot just 90 days ago...  Indiana...  Missouri...  South Carolina...  Michigan...  Wisconsin...  170,000 lost souls...  170,000 devastated families...   PLEASE wear a mask...  WASH those hands...  quarantine fatigue wears us down... makes us overconfident... stay safe💞😷
How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?