Grilled Spicy Chicken Breast, Fettuccini with Parmesan and Peas & Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...
Today was clean up...  washing off the deck to remove all the branches, leaves and remnants from Isaias...  replacing the deck chairs and tables...  moving many of the plants back out of the greenhouse to their original locations...  giving the babies some water and attention...  letting Mr Sam out onto the deck for the first time in two days...  feeling the sun on my face and being incredibly grateful for the grace we experienced in saving the greenhouse, our home and not losing power.

Our local market has been without power for now the second day...  it has affected our inbound cellular service since the local tower is on their roof...  grateful for WhatsApp to keep in touch with loved ones.  Cousins in PA had a very rough time...  lost power...  lots of rain (6”) and power restoration not expected until Sunday night...  Isaias has left her mark.

After the big clean up, supper consisted of leftover fettuccini with Parmesan and peas, spicy grilled chicken breasts, fresh tomatillo salsa verde and a crisp salad of mixed greens...  including some radish and spinach leaves...  radishes...  tomatoes... all from the greenhouse... truly a garden salad.  Missing the red onions (salmonella recall 😥) though...  accompanied by wine... a Pinot noir for the hubs and a Sauvignon Blanc for me...

We are 90 days away from the election and selection of the administration that will lead America for the next four years...  please do due diligence in researching your candidate of choice to be certain you have facts...  not opinions...  in your quiver of ideas.  It is imperative that ALL American citizens utilize their vote to ensure we choose wisely.   This is not the time to opt out...  voting is a priviledge not accorded to all countries and must be valued and respected.  Our administration represents our values and ideals...  make your voice heard.
How was your day?  What’s on your plate?  Thoughts?

Isaias: Fettuccine with Parmesan and Peas & Turkey Meatballs

Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...
Today was windy...  Isaias blew in around mid morning...  at first she was friendly...  a little boisterous and full of herself.  By very early afternoon she was getting testy...  becoming tense and feeling overwhelmed...  at about mid afternoon she had a full blown hairy that lasted all the way into very late afternoon and early evening.  She seemed completely out of control...  knocking over trees....  blowing large limbs around...  covering the wet ground and roadways with leaves and small branches...  lifting up and throwing any object that wasn’t nailed down...  it went on for almost three hours...  the howling wind with frequent screams up to 70mph.  Finally about mid way through her foot kicking...  fist pounding...  on the floor tantrum...  she let out her most angry winds fueling tornadic activity at over 100mph in spots all over the tri-state area...  after a full 90 minutes she seemed to be losing steam.  She picked up her skirts and moved north to harass the neighbors...  but before leaving she turned and gave us one final blast just before supper time.  It was awe inspiring and terrifying all at once... by the time we were sitting down to supper the skies were bright blue with high wispy clouds and the sun was shining...  incredible...

The greenhouse survived the ordeal intact.  I watched worriedly from inside the kitchen looking out onto the deck as Isaias threw her most violent winds right at the back wall...  thank goodness for the lashing the hubs set up attaching it to the deck...  it groaned and shuddered many times, but never broke.  One panel on the back wall loosened a bit...  a small fix for tomorrow when we can remove the lashings and reset the base.  All the babies survived without harm sequestered inside...  door and roof vent closed and fan running for air movement.  Whew...  we made it!

I want to thank all of you for your positive thoughts and prayers...  it meant a great deal to my heart to have your support through this event.  So many trees down...  wires detached from electrical supply poles...  transistors blown...  a large area of the neighborhood dark tonite...  we are fortunate not to be among those without power.

Simple supper tonite...  fettuccini with Parmesan and peas...  turkey meatballs...  wine, of course, red for him, white for me...  Haagen Dazs Coffee Chocolate Chip ice cream for dessert...
How was your day?  What’s on your plate?  Thoughts?

Spicy Grilled Chicken Breasts, Caprese Salad & Tomato Harvest

Quarantine supper tonite...  Live from NYC...
We are ready!!  All the babies are secured in the greenhouse...  door and roof vent closed...  tethers straight and secure...  all deck furniture collected and stowed...  the thunderstorms and rains have begun...   Isaias is crawling up the coast expected to impact the Carolinas tonite and the Big Wet Apple tomorrow.

Today was humid and hot... in the high 80’s...  sunny and quiet...  the calm before the storm...  Mr Sam relaxed on the deck while we prepared for Isaias...  piling up chairs and securing all objects that might become projectiles...

Spicy boneless skinless chicken breasts, corn, red pepper, eggplant...  all on the grill tonite...  the hubs doing a fabulous job keeping the heat just right...  took the grilled corn and made elote...  baby eggplant scooped and mixed with fresh lime juice...  red pepper skinned and seeded...  crema atop the spicy chicken for that cooling tart finish.   Served alongside wine... red for him... white for me...

Tomato harvest going strong... two romas joining the cherrys... the big boy was our caprese salad tonite along with garden fresh basil, fresh mozzarella and balsamic...  delicious...
How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Quarantine supper tonite... Live from NYC... It’s Sunday... and that means a visit with Mom... it’s been just over a year since the stroke left her disabled... unable to speak well, walk or swallow... with a marked droop on the left side of her face... my 89 year old Mom is incredibly resilient...

Today she is thriving... walking 12 laps each day around her apartment with her walker... her swallowing and speaking are almost completely normal... and her face has realigned completely... we are thrilled to see her amazing recovery... during the pandemic she has been walking tirelessly... reading... taught her aide how to play honeymoon bridge... speaks with her friends daily over the phone... and visits with us each Sunday for just over 2 hours... masks on (for us) and distanced... she has weathered the storm with grace and dignity and we are so proud of her!!

We returned from our visit with some time to relax before supper. The hubs took a brief nap while I played in the greenhouse and garden. Picked our first two roma tomatoes today and a bunch more cherrys. Eggplant are growing daily and the cucumbers are getting tall. After supper we packed up the deck chairs and tables as Isaias is headed straight for NYC on Tuesday packing expected winds of 50 mph and about 3” of rain thus far. The greenhouse is tethered to the deck and we are hoping it sustains no damage... fingers crossed 🤞

While the hubs slept supper came together... the kefta was so delicious we had it again with flatbread, yogurt sauce, lime wedge and a crisp green salad...

We recorded all of the Mission Impossible movies recently and have been enjoying them immensely... for the second or maybe the fourth time... who knows... they’re fun... watching them in order... we are up to number three next. Thank goodness for fast forward... zipping through the deluge of commercials shortens the duration by at least 50%... 😅😂🤣 All in all a very relaxing weekend... How was your day? What’s on your plate? Thoughts?

Greenhouse Photo Op

Quarantine activities of the day... Live from NYC... Today was photo day in the greenhouse... everyone perked up for their portraits after a good watering and feeding... The eggplants are coming along nicely... they like to grow underneath the downy leaves giving them shade... Our radishes are almost grown, a second planting in a week or two... they are spicy and hot... Basil is doing fabulously, we enjoy it most nights in salads or on pasta... The babies in their grow bags are happy and healthy... cukes getting bigger fast... carrots & turnips busy underground... arugula getting bigger every day... collards will arrive toward fall... tomato plants beginning to produce cherries, romas and big boys with a couple of plants behind for fall harvesting... Not pictured are the perennial herbs in the garden growing beautifully... among them we have planted Brussels sprouts, pumpkin, and watermelon... Nasturtiums are sporting baby leaves... The bee feed flower seeds are tiny tips peeking above the soil... Crimson clover is now 2” high... can’t wait to see their stunning flowers... The joy of being in the greenhouse, tending to the plants and watching them grow and produce is s dream come true... During this COVID pandemic it is critical to find some small joys to bring relaxation and relieve stress... How are you coping? Please share your ideas and tips... thoughts?

Kefta

Quarantine supper tonite... Live from NYC... Last night I saw a post by Joel Mozersky for Kefta that looked delicious... don’t have the proper skewers, but it looked so moist and tasty... had to try. Not having all the ingredients substitutions were made... instead of the harissa, used tomato paste, marash pepper flake and zatar... didn’t have smoked sea salt but used extra smoked paprika, kosher salt and pepper... the lemon zest, sesame seeds & olive oil were added and patties were shaped and cooked in a skillet. Joel, the results were delicious... thanks for the recipe... we will surely eat this again 😋 Today was a blessing for us here in the tri-state... temperatures topped out just above  80°F following last night and this mornings deluge. The grass is once again happy and the garden had a good long drink that was sorely needed. The greenhouse withstood the battering rains and blowing winds without incident... all parties within are happy and growing... the red pepper plant got a new home today from her crib into a nice planter... she is getting tall... One tomato plant is not inside the greenhouse... it is on the deck in a cage... today our yard squirrel ate her last tomato for the season... snatched it off my deck tomato plant (which is now covered with chicken wire... no more snacks for you Ms Squirrel) New Jersey announced 2000 new cases of COVID yesterday... since they are our western neighbor it portends sad news for the region... the virus is slowly but surely creeping back into the northeast... makes us all nervous. Took some time off today to fuss around in the garden, follow up on a few phone calls, give myself a mani pedi and go through the mail... all in all a quiet day. How was your day? What’s on your plate? Thoughts.

Tuna Salad Platter

Quarantine supper tonite... live from NYC... Today was very warm... afternoon high clouds gave a break from the suns heat... rain seemed to be approaching but never materialized... should arrive sometime tonite and stick around for most of tomorrow... the grass is in desperate need... been mostly dry here for over a week with roasting temperatures... Two young tomato plants put on their big girl panties today and found new digs... one in a 7 quart grow bag... the other in a planter... both outgrowing their cribs ready to move on... the bee feed have peeked their tiny heads above ground and nasturtiums are waving baby leaves... the greenhouse is alive... Another one in the books tonite... no power outages... the hubs is finally getting some much needed rest after two days of fretting and annoyance... Supper was a tuna salad (not pictured) dressed with mayo, Dijon mustard and the juice of a whole lemon... sardines... dolmas... roma tomato... four minute eggs... Brie... a crisp Sauvignon Blanc and a few triscuits... a quick and satisfying meal on a very warm night... As the November election approaches voting by mail, one of the safest, most reliable and easiest ways to cast a ballot, has become a political football... Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, Washington, US military and now Michigan all employ voting by mail with excellent results... high voter turnout... almost zero voter fraud... safe & reliable... this voting cycle the hubs, myself and Mom will all be casting our ballots via absentee... permitted in NY... How was your day? What’s on your plate? Thoughts?