Now, what you see here is just a macaroni casserole. Noodles, broccoli, sliced bratwurst, white cheddar and ricotta, eggs and milk. Oh, and some breadcrumbs on the top.I baked it early in the afternoon, for Feast, so as it sat warming in the oven I added more hot milk and ricotta, to keep it creamy and moist. Then I scrambled the top and innards a little, to mix things up. Right before we left for Feast I cut this portion out, photographed it and then slid the food back into the casserole dish. You see, I wanted to send a photo of the macaroni and cheese to Ruhiyyih the following day....at her office. Right before lunch.
Baha'is celebrate the new year on March 21st, the first day of Spring. I've been busy cleaning the house, getting ready for company. Taraz and Megan and several of their friends from out of state will stay here tonight.
We have plans to attend a Naw Ruz celebration Saturday morning, a brunch, and then our family will scatter. Taraz and Megan want to take their friends on the ferry, to Vashon Island, to visit the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie, and to explore the beach where we had such a good time earlier in the month.
Just as most people spend days preparing delicacies for Easter, like hot cross buns, I've experimented with several favorite recipes, to make them a little more festive. Dilly Bread is one of my kids' favorites, a soft bread with cottage cheese and onion, and dill mixed into the dough. I decided to make little rolls with the dough this time, and put a ricotta filling inside each roll. (Next time, I'll double the amount of filling and ricotta).
Here, I've placed a celery-onion seasoned filling on top of the dough. Since these little rolls were going to have a mild east-Indian curry paste spread on top of the sliced rolls, I added a little Cajun seasoning to the onion-celery mixture.
This is what the rolls looked like after rolled up and shaped into a crescent. This bread dough is unbelievable, so soft and fragrant. I brushed the top with egg, then sprinkled shredded cheddar and Swiss cheese.
The rolls, when sliced open, show the ricotta filling and the layer of veggies and spices. 
Each roll can be sliced into several pieces, like a miniature loaf of bread, then spread with eastern curry paste. I tried a test-slice, warm out of the oven, and the curry paste really enhances the zesty flavor. These can be kept warm, in tin foil, and served as a snack or with breakfast in the morning with scrambled eggs and ham.I then proceeded to improvise with an old favorite - Apricot Almond Muffins. 
This time, I mixed together crushed walnuts with almond paste and just a hint of brown sugar and cinnamon, and rolled this mixture into a little ball which I placed on top of the dough.
I scooped a little depression into the dough, so the ball would settle in, then I poured the rest of the batter over the top.
The fragrance of apricot and almonds is enhanced when these are eaten warm, also, and are great served with morning coffee.
I'll be preparing a quiche today, and also some macaroni and cheese with a bread-crumb topping. I want to experiment with a little more white cheese added to the cheddar, and I want to throw in a little broccoli, celery and onion, and thin-sliced bratwurst, so it is a casserole. If it passes inspection - a little taste out of the corner - I'll take it to Feast tonight. This is the last day of the Baha'i Fast, and with sundown the friends will enjoy a meal together to celebrate.
I was delighted to note that one of my Flickr photos was used by 'Mark's Daily Apple', a blog that features health and fitness. What a pleasant surprise! I'm glad he took the time to feature one of my little taste thrills, simple as they are.
Pear spears with slices of strawberries, raspberries, and banana....and a festive sprinkling of sugar nuggets.
Fresh Salmon Slaw, with finely chopped veggies, onion, garlic, and a sprinkling of seeds and nuts. It is a perfect substitution for hashbrowns for breakfast, and is stir-fried very hot for only a few seconds. Canned salmon can used, and placed under the slaw to stay warm.
Ash-e Anar: Pomegranate Stew, a Persian dish, with Naan. I first had this flavorful stew at a Baha'i fireside about two months ago, and was determined to try it. It is made with rich pomegranate molasses, but is not sweet. Just incredibly fragrant, delicate yet substantial. I added lentils, rice and butter beans to the broth, which is simmered until it is thick. Any kind of meat will do; I used ground beef.
I often make a soup for dinner, then freeze several bags of it to fill a thermos for hiking trips. 
In the winter, a hearty soup like this White Bean Soup just hits the spot. I stir-fry a mixture of vegetables with carrots, onion, garlic and celery. When they've cooked through, I puree about a third of the mixture for a creamy pureed base rather than use cream. The chile pequin can be served separately, for individual taste. It gives this soup a burst of heat. Cornbread, naan, or pita as a side-dish. Tomorrow I have to make bread, which is a great way to stay warm in the kitchen. The weather forecast: RAIN
We took a leisurely canoe paddle around the shoreline of Fox Island on the weekend, packing a lunch and letting the currant and tides push us along.
We'd done this stretch of beach before, a number of years ago. It was quite windy then, with whitecaps and waves hitting the breakwalls. Our paddle this time was more gentle, with slow currants and, fortunately, very little wind. But, it was nippy out. We had to wear scarves, hats and gloves.
When we paddled along here I wanted to go ashore to climb the big rocks. The seaweed had completely dried on them, and since the tide was down, there were interesting shellfish and barnacles on the rocks in the water. (I took the photo directly into the light, which made the photo a little dark.) I loved how the sunlight glistened on the water along the shore, making everything seem so celebratory and sparkly.
We also celebrated the 'Homegoing' of Reba Mae Braggs, who went to be with her Lord last Tuesday. She is the mother of a close friend, and lived 91 years. 
This was the first time I've attended Shiloh Baptist Church in the Hilltop area of Tacoma, and it was deeply moving, with the pastor, deacons and choir embodying so much vibrant, heart-felt spirit.
The music brought back some memories of my favorite gospel hymns, one of which is "I Don't Feel No Ways Tired" recorded by Rev. James Cleveland, which I hummed to myself most of the day following this celebration. Reba Mae joine
d Shiloh Baptist Church in the early 50's, spear- heading many mission projects. She prepared bandages boxes for Africa and supported church-sponsored activities around the holidays, making sure food was distributed to needy families. It was indescribable, seeing how beautiful the flowers were here, especially the roses from her family, and listening to the eulogy and words of encouragement. Just a reverent, beautiful afternoon.
I enjoyed cooking several hearty breakfasts over the weekend. Since our outings on both days started later in the day, I puttered, taking my time mulling through cookbooks, and seeing what I could use up out of the fridge. I fixed a hearty winter breakfast on Saturday: Polenta and Ground Lamb Patties with Moroccan Harissa . (A hot red pepper paste that has an intense, slow burn that will spice up any dish.) I spread it on the lamb and also the polenta slices, before I fried them. 
I added a little shredded cheese to the polenta and a sprinkle of Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper to the lamb. The veggie mixture was marinated in 'Caribbean Jerk' which has a wonderful blend of allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, rosemary and sage blended with lime and orange juice. I added 'panko' bread-crumbs to the onion rings as I stir-fried them, then garnished the veggies with miniature 3/4 inch lime slices. (These are so small they have to be chewed to get the juice.)Sunday morning I fixed a Mediterranean Hash - just an experiment, which used up a lot of odds and ends. 
I coated tiny shrimp with Moroccan style harissa and quickly stir-fried them with peppers, onions, zucchini, garlic and tomatoes. I poached a couple of eggs then laid them on grilled Italian bread, with mozzarella, cheddar and bacon as a topping. Just keeping them warm in the oven while I was puttering over the stir-fry caused the cheese to melt nicely over the bread. A few sliced pears with shredded fresh ginger completed the meal, and I sprinkled the works with just a bit of fresh lime juice. It was fragrant and flavorful, and will definitely be a favorite breakfast of ours.
It never fails, when I want to go outside to clean up my garden, the clouds darken in the sky, and we get a persistent slanting rain that thwarts my best intentions to get out. Patio, side yard, flowerbeds all wait while it rains. I made coffee and lingered with a book on Greece, and specifically the islands of the Cyclades: photos of charming stairwells and walkways; of octopus sizzling on charcoal grills at the entrance of vine-covered 'psarotavernas' (fish-markets) in leafy back alleys. Wonderful coffee houses and food shops nestled in back alleys, and a cornucopian abundance in the local markets. Nikos Kazantzakis, the writer of Zorba the Greek, lived in these islands and said "From the moment I set foot in Aegina I've become another man. Exhilaration, almost happiness, sea, solitude, there is no more perfect climate for my spirit." (Flickr photo by Jessie.)
I put the book down, looked out my window at our dreary rain, and decided my day could be considerably brighter if I got busy. In the kitchen. Now, I apologize to any Baha'is who might be reading this post, as now is the time of the Fast. And, my apologies to anyone else reading while at work, waiting for the 10:00 coffee break. (Ruhiyyih, I'm thinking of you.)
I'm also reading a cookbook featuring phyllo dough, and when I discovered how complicated the folding and refolding of this delicacy is, I just decided to purchase a few varieties, and fill them with my own taste-thrills, one of which is wheatberry salad. 
This is made with currents, apricots, apples, celery and onion, cranberries, nuts, and a zesty dressing of oil and raspberry vinegar. The deli at Metropolitan Market had small portions of wheatberry salad packaged up, so I purchased some for the phyllo cups. They are served chilled and are a delectable little taste thrill, prepared in an instant.
When I am reading in the morning I use a yellow highlighter, to underline anything I wish to look up on Flickr. (Most people use underlining for a substantial thought, I want images, to see what something looks like.) While I've been reading about Portugal in Francis Mayes "A Year In The World", I highlighted the Cafe Brasileira, the Alfama, butterscotch flan, 'gelato' with confit of lemon, goat cheese wrapped in gauze, almonds suspended in honey, Portuguese mustard, the cataplana, 'rissoles', and then THIS: Walnut Cake with Caramel Frosting!
The author and her husband were dining in a little 'tasca' with everyone seated together at crowded tables. As they waited for their meal, Francis noticed a gentleman across from her enjoying the cake. He sees her, then reaches over, picks up her fork, and hands back to her a large piece of cake. I was simply delighted to imagine this moment of sweet generosity! I had to make the cake, but with a few variations.
Francis shared a Walnut Cake with caramel icing; I wanted to build a two-tiered Espresso-Walnut Cake, with creme cheese frosting. 
I wanted to play, like a child at the beach, with buckets of sand. Lost in the bliss of creating, I puttered, revised the recipe, adding rum extract, a little more cinnamon, and 'cleaned out my refrigerator', adding yogurt, eggs, whole milk, and cinnamon-pecan streudel from last week.
It turned out better than I could have imagined. Easy to slice, just slightly sweet. (Recipe here.)
I then got busy chopping up the remainder of my flaxseed bread and some potato bread, and made bread pudding. 
This can be warmed up in the microwave, for a quick mid-morning snack. Light, moist, with a dash of honey yogurt, it melts in your mouth, and just begs for a cup of fresh coffee.
When I was growing up, meat and potatoes were a daily thing, generally a rump roast and boiled potatoes that my dad would mash into fluffiness, adding milk and butter. Mother was not interested in cooking, so we rarely had any variety, and I grew up fairly disinterested in meals. When I married George, he took over the kitchen (much to my delight), and kept our kids alive on Top Raman and Cheerios, stir-fry and peanut-butter and jelly. We all ate on the run, and I remember eating my dinner at Park Rose Care Center for 10 years, where I worked in the kitchen. I had more mashed potatoes (this time with packaged gravy) for ten years.
Breakfast for me was often rice, canned corn and green beans with a dollup of canned stewed tomatoes and green onions. That was as good as it got...with peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. I simply never thought much about meals.
Now that I'm retired, I enjoy spending a morning in the kitchen. I also enjoy putting away my culinary experiments and getting down to the basics - good ole mashed potatoes and gravy. The comfort foods of my youth. 
This time, with meatballs and a sparkle of shredded hashbrowns on the plate, to add a new twist. It could have used a slice of bread, to mop up the gravy, but it got used up in the pudding. I forgot that little detail.
My oldest daughter, Laurel, gave me a waffle iron a few years ago, and it makes the most beautiful waffles. I put a dollup of pomegranate yogurt on top, and added a tumble of fresh raspberries and a little plum syrup.
My geraniums are now in bloom on the windowsill, and these delicate plum blossoms line one of the streets on my jogging route. 
We've had sunlight and rain, low heavy clouds, and beautiful long shadows in the early evening when the sun slides under the clouds for a final bright wink. With temps in the mid 50's, it has been delightful walking when the sun is shining.
Not much to say here. Just doing my spring cleaning. Ruhiyyih has a story about our chat the other night. Amazing how I can disrupt her sleep just by mentioning Stephen Hawking!
I made this vegetable crepe for lunch, using a fluffy shell from our Metropolitan Market. I just had to buy a package, to see how they felt and tasted.
Of course at the time, I had no idea what I was going to fill them with! It could be sweet, with a cream cheese-fresh fruit filling and a topping of raspberries. Or, it could be an experiment - and I chose the latter. I started out with thin sliced turkey (I always keep strips in the freezer in little packages just for times like this), added fried bacon strips cut into matchstick size, sauted peppers and zucchini together, and then poured an orange-poppyseed vinaigrette over the works. I purposefully stretched out the crepe for my photograph, so before I ate the crepe I rolled it tightly up.
I had some oven-baked hashbrowns left over from breakfast, so I sprinkled some of those in too, for a bit of crunch before I rolled everything up, burrito style. These crepes are so delightful, they could be used as an accompaniment to a meal, like the photo shown here, which I'll save for George.
Some of my cookbooks feature asparagus crepes with a hollandaise sauce, and mushroom crepes. Most recipes require too many eggs, so I felt fortunate to find this whole grain crepe at our local market. These meals require a fork and knife, as they aren't like a burrito, which can be picked up with your hands. Many crepes have a rich cream sauce poured over the top.
I rolled one of the crepes into a funnel, bent the end shut, opened up the insides, and filled it with fresh strawberries that were lightly sugared. Then I poured "Greek God's" yogurt inside. I layered berries and yogurt on top, then sprinkled raw rock sugar on top. Greek God's Yogurt is a local Seattle company that produces yogurt from cream, making it very rich and heavenly, almost like ice cream. 
I now buy the smaller containers - fig, pomegranate, vanilla, and honey. I have often used these rich yogurts as a garnish, placing just a mound of it on top of fresh fruit or on pancakes. It is the best I've ever tasted.
I also made little cabbage salads - a bit of savoy, sliced leeks, fresh peas and soybeans, and leftover 'leavings' from miniature peppers. The Orange Poppyseed Dressing goes nicely with this salad.
And, for the windowsill, our first bright daffodils, the only two growing alongside the house in our yard.....they were bobbing in a little huddle out in the wind and rain today. When the sun-breaks arrived about 2:00, I brought them in.
These little signs greeted us at the Marina at Boston Harbor in Budd Inlet, where we spent Sunday afternoon canoeing. It was a pleasant day - no wind, overcast skies, and temperatures in the high 50's. George checked out the saltwater tides of the 'Nisqually Reach' before we headed down to Thurston County.
The tide was very low, but we found a good put-in place at the Boston Harbor Marina. There was no charge to put our canoe in the water here, but we did have to have the Washing State Wildlife recreation sticker on our car, for parking.
While George was unloading, I explored the Marina, where families were enjoying the warmer weather, having lunch at little tables, unloading their boats and playing on the beach.
We started our paddle late in the day, about 2:00, and paddled for about an hour and a half, staying very close to the shoreline.
Budd Inlet is incredibly rich with shellfish, sand-dollars, and everything was coated with barnacles. 
I enjoyed looking at all this closely. The little frond-like filaments that protruded out from the mouth of the barnacles waved in the water, scooping up nutrients along the shoreline. I picked up clams, watched little crabs, and got out of the canoe in several places to explore the beach.
George waited patiently while I walked along the beach - neither one of us have our 'canoeing muscles' built up yet. A leisurely paddle was perfect. We'd like to return to this beach in the summertime, to see the richness of the aquatic life which is more greatly discernible in brilliant sunshine.
I especially enjoyed this pretty home along the shoreline. It is near a state park, which has a miniature lighthouse.
This is the gas-station out on the docks, for fueling the water-craft. I wish we'd gotten a little closer, as I wanted to see what the price of gas was....I thought it said $5.00 a gallon on the little pump. That wouldn't surprise me if it were that amount. Generally fuel is more expensive in a marina.
This fishing vessel was docked at Boston Harbor Marina.
A brightly colored boat next to the Police Boat. I had to laugh seeing the three crewmen lounging around on it, having a good time. At the end of their work day, they all walked up to the Marina, and called it a day.
It is in heavenly side-streets like this in Europe that I would love to stroll, taking in the sights ...preferably without hordes of tourists. I'd appreciate the displays in shop windows, enjoy the cascades of flowers falling from overhanging baskets, and savor little coffee shops like this one in Italy. (Taken by Chania on Flickr. )
There is nothing like the mystery of shadowy interiors and then the warm glow of an old coffee shop, with the aroma of freshly brewed espresso or cappuchino. It beckons indulgence and relaxation, which is the gift of a good coffee shop.
But, I'm here at home in the mists and overcast skies of a March day in the Pacific Northwest. There has been frost on the grass in the mornings, and by mid-day the begrudging sun peeks and bobs through a high scatter of thin clouds. I seek my chance to go running, strip off a layer or two, and let the sunshine warm my skin. We think of Vitamin D deficiency here in the wintertime, as overcast skies prevent that vitamin from being absorbed.
So, I spent the day cooking, starting with buckwheat groats fried with a thin coating of egg, then simmered with garlic, onion, carrots and celery in chicken broth. 
Add some carrots simmered in lime juice as a side-dish, and some cannellini beans (white kidney) and I've got a nutritious little lunch. The whole grain buckwheat and the beans, when combined at the same meal, make a complete protein. The fiber is always good, and the carrots, well, they were boring....but my eyes need them.
I tossed together a salad with all kinds of goodies, and spent an hour watching Anthony Bourdain on TV savoring the spicy delights of Mexico. He tried out the local salsa and chips, and I enjoyed watching the local fellows set up the spiciest fare to trigger his gag reflex. Bourdain just chowed down, as usual, and chuckled. He is not to be out-done by big burly guys in the local tavern, and jugs down a glass of beer to cool his tonsils. I enjoy his show - it is irreverent, makes me laugh, and opens up an entirely different part of the world, different from what I have in my own home.
Mexico I'd like, but the desserts of France or Spain inspired me to create a little custard cake, a Basque confection made with imitation rum (just a dab for a subtle flavor), and vanilla, and a brushed egg topping with slivered almonds. It requires a 'setting-up' phase of a couple of hours for the rum custard to stiffen-up so it can be perfectly cut. 
I warmed my slice in the microwave for a few seconds to bring out the rum flavor, and enjoyed it with a cup of coffee. The dough for this custard cake is cut in half, then both sections are rolled out, with one section larger than the other to overlap the top portion when covering the custard filling.
I saved some of the custard for individual servings with fruit. They puffed out so nicely, and I added kiwi, a few huckleberries from last fall, a drizzling of plum syrup, and yogurt. 
This could work well for breakfast, with a slice of ham and some hash-browns, and I can see individual custards topped with fruit as a high-protein dessert when camping. Warmed over the fire, with a bit of powdered sugar and some strawberries, it would make a perfect bedtime snack.A fragrant chicken-vegetable stew was my last project for the day, intended for dinnertime. 
I sauted carrots, celery, and onion in olive oil, added chicken bullion, then added assorted finely chopped vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, parsley, etc.) and some prunes and dried apricots. These enhance the flavor of the stew. Then I added one jar of pizza sauce - any thick paste will do - and a blend of spices: Anise, tarragon, turmeric, cayenne, rosemary, and Italian seasoning. Salt, pepper, a sprinkle of fresh lime and a splash of plum syrup were added at the end. I simmered chicken and bratwurst for forty minutes in this mixture, until the chicken fell off the bones and the rich tomato broth became a sauce. Once done, this wholesome mixture can be served over brown rice or with whole wheat bread, lavishly buttered! I'm showing only a small serving of this stew because (although it tastes great) it photographs poorly, just like most east-Indian dishes. They tend to look like orange goo, from cayenne and turmeric.Well, I was savoring all my little culinary delights, even e-mailing photos of the Basque cake and the rum-custard to George, with the title "Which of these would you prefer?", knowing his afternoon snack was probably oatmeal. (Heh, the drawbacks of being a diabetic.) He called back with disappointing news - he had to work late, then attend a Baha'i meeting in the evening. (Guess I'll never do THAT again! :) Shucks, all this good food and nobody to share it with. But, Taraz was in town visiting his friend Arron; he called and asked if they could come over. He must have called while Aron was driving, because right after I hung up the phone they were knocking on the door! I pulled out dinner and it was sure gratifying to see those young men eat. Reminds me of that phrase, "when God shuts a door, He'll leave a window open".
Now, what you see here is just a macaroni casserole. Noodles, broccoli, sliced bratwurst, white cheddar and ricotta, eggs and milk. Oh, and some breadcrumbs on the top.
