wow. these things are HUGE. and so beautiful. my mother called them pee-nees. i hope some white ones are around for the wedding. it will remind me of my mom, who i wish could be here on that day. she would be so proud of emily.

watering my plants with the cool pitcher from rome makes the task so much more pleasant. makes me seem more continental than i am. and i'm okay with that.

she blew in. she blew out. and she made these perfect deviled eggs. she's so uplifting and brings cheer into every room. and i can't wait until she comes back.

very productive saturday. made chicken stock and blueberry muffins. hazelnut vinaigrette and sauteed greens with onion & soy sauce. roasted beets. i am LOVING my new cookbook by (yes, i know) gwyneth paltrow. it's marvelous. so very close to my own food...vegetarian and vegan, with lots of italian and simple, clean chicken and fish dishes. she makes that mix seem so normal. and makes me re-energized in the kitchen.

another afternoon with julie. we've been talking about inspiration and creativity. she always, always inspires me to try new things. it's so funny that these "new" things are generally "old" things like canning jam, making bread, yogurt, cheese. and we both consider these things to be creative although i bet an ancient nonna would have a good laugh at that. she probably considered that "just getting dinner on the table".
and so we spent the afternoon making challah. okay, i watched! but it still felt creative and inspiring and that's what an afternoon with julie is all about.

why don't i do this more often??? i'll add this to the long, long list.

corson, again.
i think i just want to live there. and have them cook for me. but i would probably start snooping around that kitchen and wanting to do the cooking myself.

oh, boy. that's ours. not the snowmobile...and NO, he can't have one. but this place is ours. and i kind of really do not believe it.

2010 came and went and i didn't really keep good track of it. so, let's remember.
i kind of fell out of love with cooking. there were many things i wanted to try...but being a vegetarian and cooking for a carnivore had gotten on my nerves. solution for 2011??? he's just going to eat like a vegetarian more. and that's that.
i did learn how to crochet, which i love. this year i hope to improve and not have everything fall apart! it's doable.
i didn't garden as much as i usually do. i was gone a lot and we didn't really have a summer. i vow to get out there and plant, plant, plant this year.
i didn't read very much, if you don't count cookbooks! since i went ahead and cancelled the cable we both have more books in our future.
here's to a wonderful, happy, joyful year! i promise to be better. and more engaged.