Kielbasa with Black Beans, Roasted Peppers and Onions and Corn… Mezze Platter before Supper

Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Blustery day… temps in the low 50’s… cloudy with scattered sprinkles…  few folks out… picking up kids from school… heads down against the wind… scarves flapping wildly… hustling along carrying book bags while little ones scamper ahead oblivious to the chill 💨 

Leisurely breakfast for two… Mr Sam sleeping in… snuggling with the radiator… the hubs enjoying cottage cheese and roasted tomatoes with his hot coffee ☕️ Another delicious banana 🍌with iced coffee🧋sitting at the kitchen table discussing supper… Mr Sam finally joining the party just in time to lick the rest of the cottage cheese remains from the hubs dish😽

The hubs off to his workshop… creative juices flowing… Packing up Mom’s goodies… some books from our local trading group… food for the week… a random pair of her sunglasses discovered in our house and finally mail… it’s off to the races… stopping by the market for a few fill in items…  then off to Mom’s for a visit.  

She is so looking forward to seeing Cyrano at her movie theatre (there is one in her complex) however the showing has ended… so glad to find both it and the original one from 1950 available on cable… she is excited to see the original again with José Ferrer and Mala Powers…  grateful to set it up for her to view after supper 🎥 

Arriving home hungry… setting up a quick snack platter to share… roasted tomatoes… hummus with roasted peppers… blueberries… almonds… peanuts… celery, carrot and zucchini sticks… cheese cubes and a few wheat thins… just enough to hold us till supper is ready… enjoyed with a glass of Josh Cabernet 🍷 

Supper tonite… fresh corn and black beans… cooking in olive oil flavored with the smokiness of the kielbasa slices browned in the pan first… oven roasted peppers and onions… a sprinkling of minced fresh parsley 🌿 Delicious and light after our earlier snack 🧀 🫐 🥜 

Cautiously optimistic regarding peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia… trust but verify… hoping for the slaughter to end and peace to rein for the peoples of both countries #peaceforukraine 🇺🇦 

Second boosters now available... if you are immune compromised or have comorbidities now is the time for self care #GetYourJabOn  Elderly are recommended as well 💉Mask up as needed… and wash those germy hands 😷💕

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

Salmon, Collards, Rice, Dumplings and Salad

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Defrosting!  Thermometer shivered up to 45°F today… new daffodils poking out of the ground… violets appearing… crocus and tulip stems… forsythia blooms ablaze in bright yellow… tree buds swollen almost to bursting… 

Fat breasted male robins feasting on worms and bugs as the ground thaws… sparrows chasing one another in spring mating rituals… temps climbing back to seasonal… with any luck spring has sprung 🪷🌱🪺

Breakfast for three… kibble and pets for Mr Sam… cottage cheese and the last banana 🍌 with hot coffee ☕️ for the hubs… iced coffee🧋and an orange 🍊… into the office for a few hours of work… endless paperwork 📝 Mr Sam snoozing on his window perch nearby… the hubs off to his workshop… designing exciting new creations 🪚🗜

Supper tonite… roasted salmon loins with old bay seasoning… collard greens and bacon… a side of leftover fried rice and dumplings from last nights Chinese food order…  crisp green salad of romaine, red cabbage, cucumber, red onion, tomato, Kalamata olives and fresh chopped hydroponic parsley in balsamic vinaigrette… a glass of Vinho Verde alongside 🥂 Wild berry zinger tea for the hubs 🫖 

The possibility of successful peace talks…  an answer to worldwide hopes…  between Ukraine and Russia… our hearts are with the Ukrainian people who’s lives have been shattered… their towns and cities destroyed 🇺🇦 

CDC has authorized a second booster for those with underlying g health concerns and the elderly… Mom’s MD has recommended she get the jab 💉

Now is the time to practice self care #GetYourJabOn  mask up when needed and wash those germy hands 😷💕

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

Empress 1908

 Had cocktails with Mariya Tuesday at her home after taking Grandma to the MD for her check up… a bit stressful… was there a looong time while they tried (and failed) to poke her for blood 🩸 Her veins are so difficult to find when she is chilly… finally we packed it in and left… rest of visit went well 🥰

Sweet Mariya offered a great option to relax post visit… never had Empress 1908 Gin before… besides the fabulous color… OMG that BLUE… which… btw… turns purple-pink when the pH is lowered by adding acid (lime) and tastes smooooth with hints of floral notes… definitely getting my own bottle to enjoy 😋💕

Chicken Vegetable Soup With Turkey Meatballs & Herby Breadsticks

 Variantes supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Arctic blast returning with fury… temps dipping down to 23°F… blustery wind gusts topping 35 mph… forget real feels… stepping outside feeling disappears within moments… mostly cloudy not helping… few breaks of sun for warmth ☀️ Squirrels 🐿 hiding… too cold for nibbles… birds out pecking at seeds on lawns… few flowers surviving the deep freeze… couple of daffodils that bloomed early succumbing to the cold 🥶 

Breakfast for three… kibble with a side of whey for Mr Sam… cottage cheese and berries for the hubs along with hot java ☕️ Iced coffee🧋(yes, even when it’s 23°F) and an orange 🍊  

Yesterday afternoon… wrapped the greenhouse radish, snap pea and turnip seedlings with a heat lamp and vinyl tablecloth supported on chicken wire to keep the babies warm during the cold snap… they’re about  12°F warmer than outside temps… just enough heat to keep them from freezing 🪴 

Paperwork and laundry 🧺 day… too cold for any outside activities…  managed to get a bit of sun in the office during a break in the clouds ☁️ 

By 5 pm had enough… time to play in the kitchen 😁

Perfect day for leftover chicken vegetable soup for supper… adding in turkey meatballs… warming and filling...  making a quick rising dough for herby breadsticks to complement the soup… so chilly today… first rising of the dough in a slightly warmed oven…  after shaping did the second rising above the cast iron radiator in the dining room and kitchen… worked like a charm… served alongside a glass of Vinho Verde 🥂 Decaf coffee ☕️ for the hubs with a chocolate for dessert 🍫 

The war in Ukraine displacing over 3.5 million creating a humanitarian crisis… our hearts are broken 💔 We desperately hope for a peaceful resolutions amidst the chaos #peaceforukraine

BA2 continuing to slowly spread in the NYC area now accounting for almost half of new infections… excellent time to #GetYourJabOn and practice self care… mask up when needed… and wash those germy hands 😷💕

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

London Broil… Roasted Eggplant & Chicken soup

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Slowly slipping back into winter… temps dropping each day… tonite in the high 30’s… by tomorrow night the low 20’s 🥶  Showers mixed with bright sun as the clouds shift…  a few dark ominous thunder boomers passing us by to the north and west… group of sparrows chirping at one another...  vying for mates…  healthy male robin hopping about in the grass during the drizzle waiting for a worm or bug to come up for air ☔️ 

Breakfast for three… Mr Sam’s healthy appetite apparent as he scarfs down his kibble…  mini wrap of turkey and Genoa salami each with hot coffee ☕️ for the hubs…🧋iced pour moi… he is off to his workshop to create… enjoying the wood of a few discarded pallets 🔨🪚

Saturday play day in the kitchen…  chopping vegetables… onions…  garlic… parsnips… celery… red pepper…  sautéing till softened… adding in homemade chicken stock…  simmering low and slow as the vegetables tenderize…  couple of bay leaves… rosemary branch… sage stalk… Penzey’s Mural Spice Mix (thanks Marcia) adding in a cooked diced chicken breast… celery leaves and fresh parsley… juice of one lemon… a final adjustment of salt and pepper and voilá… delicious warming chicken vegetable soup 😋

Supper tonite… chicken soup 🥣 warmth for the soul… london broil  🥩 rice 🌾 roasted balsamic eggplant 🍆 Friends dropped by… Andrew & Mariya joining us for a Prosecco toast 🥂 and Ice cream 🍨 for dessert… vanilla for Andrew and the hubs… espresso chip for yours truly 🍦 All in all a delightful day 🙃

Caught the President on the evening news in Poland meeting with NATO leaders… Ukraine 🇺🇦 getting battered in this unnecessary war… hoping for a quick resolution for the people of both countries 🥺 as they suffer needlessly #peaceforukraine

New BA2 Covid infections on a slow rise… finger crossed that we don’t experience another surge…  influenza cases rising as well…  keep those masks handy folks… catching the flu is no fun… great time to practice self care and #GetYourJabOn  Mask up when needed… and wash those germy hands 😷💕

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

Hash: Corned Beef, Potatoes, Asparagus, Corn, Tomatoes, Peppers and Fresh Parsley &. Fried Queso Fresco

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Raining… breezy… raw day… temps in the mid 40’s…  trees, grass and bushes soaking in the moisture… humans and animals staying inside… few rounds of downpours thudding on roof and window panes…  dreary afternoon ☔️ 

Breakfast for three… Mr Sam enjoying his kibble… particularly hungry today… the hubs coffee ☕️ and an egg on toast… iced coffee🧋and a banana… rainy afternoon sitting at the office desk doing paperwork... Mr Sam snoozing on his window perch nearby... the hubs in his office organizing hydroponics supplies after his lettuce harvest… a quick break in the action for lunch… chicken salad on a bed of hydroponic lettuce and halved grape tomatoes 

Supper tonite…  hash… leftover corned been cubed and sautéed with potatoes… asparagus… peppers… grape tomatoes… garlic & onion & black pepper… delicious… served with breaded fried queso fresco and chips… a glass of Vinho Verde alongside 🥂 the last of the hamentashen for dessert 😋

Watching the rising tide of displaced Ukrainian families… women and children fleeing for their lives… men and women fighting a relentless enemy… our hearts are broken 💔#peaceforukraine 🇺🇦 

Covid BA2 the newest variant of Omicron now making up more than half of new infections... thus far new infection rates are still low… increasing slowly… time for self care #GetYourJabOn  be part of the solution… mask up when needed and wash those germy hands  😷💕

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

Tortellini with Roasted Onion & Tomato, Hydroponic Lettuce Salad & Sliced Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Olives

 Vaccinated supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Spring warmth knocking at the door…  bright azure skies… mild afternoons… light breeze… male robins abound singing their mating song 🎶 spotted a few doves sitting on tree branches… haven’t seen our cardinal pair yet… squirrels 🐿 digging in the soft earth helping remove volunteers (unwanted oaks) from the garden and lawn… hoping for another bird nest in our bushes or yard this season 🪺 

Breakfast for three… Mr Sam enjoying his morning kibble along with a taste of scrambled egg… the hubs eating his egg on a toasted english muffin with his morning java ☕️ Iced coffee🧋today… flying out the door… off to the market for Mom’s grocery trip… picking up a few odds and ends for our fridge as well 

Terrific bounty today… five bags of two dollar produce… tomatoes… cucumbers & zucchini… summer squash & eggplant… peppers… cauliflowers couple of onions and green plantains…  so psyched… rushing home to unpack and enjoy an afternoon walk with Mariya 🏃🏻‍♀️ Tree buds getting ready to pop… bushes sprouting new leaves… grasses just beginning to grow 🍃

Supper tonite… fresh tomato and onions roasted then simmered…  spinach and cheese tortellini with olive oil and black pepper… salad of hydroponic lettuces… chopped tomatoes sliced cucumbers and Kalamata olives served with an avocado crema… Wild Berry Zinger tea for the hubs 🫖 

Our hearts are heavy as Ukraine withstands the continuous bombardment by Russia…  Jose Andres and World Central Kitchen serving over two million meals thus far… feeding over 200,000 folks daily in Poland alone #peaceforukraine

The new covid variant BA2 currently accounting for almost half of new infections in the NYC area… cases ticking up slightly… finger crossed 🤞 that another wave is not ahead #GetYourJabOn  practice self care… don’t risk your health 💕😷

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