De-Cluttering

This is a mess. I was talked into packing away my books--the ones I've deemed worth hanging onto. These cabinets are in our study-diningroom. Books are totally appropriate in this room. Without books, these cabinets have an unclear reason for being. The books are coming back. With a vengeance.

 

 

The following items are orphans purchased years ago with a vague plan to use as hostess gifts; or maybe "the kids" will want them. They are on the way out.

 

(Pretty sure these were from Williams Sonoma back in the late 80s, early 90s.)

It does pain me to pass off anything linen, but country blue moved on 20 years ago. Giving a bottle of wine in one of these bags would burden someone else with an orphan.

 

The only possible reason I bought this wine bottle rester (???) was that its stainless steel tubular design might have fit into one of our kids "retro vibe." It didn't.

 

 

Cute, but still an unclaimed orphan. These plastic picks are too cute to use and dispose of, but I'm certainly never going to use, wash, re-use, re-wash them. Plus, I'm mostly retired from party giving. I've done more than my share of event-giving/event-planning, at home and at work.

 

I've challenged myself to carry one big box a week to a charity shop. First box ready to go.

 

 

Pasta with Tomatoes, Bacon, and Goat Cheese

 

 

I think I've written about this before, but I've further refined the recipe. You can put this together entirely while the pasta cooks.

 

Pasta with Tomatoes, Bacon, and Goat Cheese

5 or 6 Bacon strips, cut into 2" pieces

2 - 3 T. Shallots or Red Onion, finely diced

2 cans Fire Roasted Tomatoes, drained

12 oz. Tomato sauce

1 or 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced

2 T. Tarragon

2 T. Sugar

1 tsp Red pepper flakes

4 - 6 oz. Goat cheese

12 oz. Pasta

1. Boil water, add pasta and cook according to package directions

2. Brown bacon, drain on paper towels, retain bacon fat

3. Wipe any solids from pan

4. Sauté shallots in retained bacon fat, until transparent; add garlic

5. Add drained tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings

6. Simmer until sauce thickens

7. Drain pasta, top with sauce, goat cheese, and bacon

Bon Appétit!

 

Whipping Cream Pound Cake

 

 

Seems I've been holding out on my readers... The VERY BEST pound cake ever conceived has never appeared on this blog. I've been making it forever--a recipe discovered (somewhere) by my good friend BB. I get very self-conscious when asked for the recipe, because this, my readers, is a heart attack on a plate.

 

Whipping Cream Pound Cake

12 oz. Butter, the real stuff

6 Eggs

3 cups Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

3 cups Cake flour

Tiny pinch of salt (unless using salted butter)

1 cup Whipping cream, not beaten

 

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease tube or Bundt pan with butter; dust with sugar.

2. With mixer, beat together butter and sugar until very smooth.

3. Add vanilla and eggs; beat until smooth.

4. Gradually (1/2 cup at a time) add flour, alternately with whipping cream. Beat until smooth and light--scraping sides.

5. Place on shelf just lower than middle of oven.

6. Bake for 1 hour, or until you smell the lusciousness, and a bamboo tester comes out clean. Do not over-bake.

 

We're having strawberry shortcake tonight, using locally-grown berries. And, I'm (finally) making the first jam of the summer.

 

The rhubarb goes into the freezer for a future (soon) strawberry-rhubarb pie.

 

I know this is the proper presentation for a Bundt-style cake...

 

But, I can never resist presenting this side, in all its rustic beauty.

 

 

A Week+ in Review

Yes, we are home. Finally.

 

CA post knee replacement surgery before tachycardia issues.

 

Physical Therapist noted extreme heart rate. EMTs respond.

 

Yes, they arrived in full-siren mode. Scary.

 

Home feels so good after almost 2 weeks of uncertainty.

My normal guy.

 

 

I Needed a Big Smile

 

Habitually Chic posted this off-guard photo on a street in Paris. Reminded me of RvH and I--a (very) few years down the road.

 

RvH is the beautifully-put-together grande dame, while I shall remain quirky.

 

Love the adventures this implies.

 

The Painter, Finally

All we needed was a rainy day so Lenny could set aside an outside job and show up at our door. Preferably two rainy days in a row. Yesterday he called me at 7:30am and asked, "Does today work for you?" Yes!

Logic would have said, "No. My husband is hospitalized and I'm stressed." I said, Yes!

Lenny showed up at 8:30am and began work on our winter ice dam damages--great room ceiling (20 ft. high) and two small wall segments, the entire master bedroom, and one wall of the garage. As soon as I could manage it, I was on my way to the hospital to be with CA.

After a long day away I returned to a completed great room, master bedroom ceiling and baseboards, and a primed garage. Disarray, sure, but real solid progress. Today it will all be done. A very bright spot in our current medically stressed-out world. Very bright.

Benjamin Moore, Captivating Teal.

 

I think we'll love the color. It'd been the very relaxing Benjamin Moore's Sea Mist, but we've gone one tone darker to Cativating Teal.

Next project will be freshening the doors on our first floor, and finally getting our peninsula's face and legs painted-- Bejamin Moore's Aura, Dove White.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peonies

 

 

Finally! One of my favorites. Especially, this variety. We have four bushes now, and luckily this is the most prolific. Wish they bloomed all summer. Definitely worth all the anticipation.

 

Camera-Shy Guy

 

Happy Fathers Day!

 

We've come a long way from this Friday morning photo.

 

After two arthroscopic knee procedures over the years and a full year of pain and physical therapy, CA had his right knee replaced 6 days ago. Not fun.

 

But, we're looking forward to pain-free mobility and some new adventures.

 

The Fun Kids Club: Colorado Edition

 

Noël, Lucy, Levi, Kika, Jonah, Lily

 

 

The Moms: daughter JE and daughter-in law MK

 

JE and Lucy

JE and MS

Lucy, Levi, Noël, Kika, Lily, Jonah

Noël

Princess Lily, Princess Lucy, Princess Kika

Silver Grill Cinnamon Roll

Jonah's victory

Cousins, at the end of a very busy day