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.

3. carciofi alla romana. soooo good. my sister goes for the carciofi alla giudia...but the romana is my favorite. the ones they serve at edy, in rome, are the best!

2. i love the trees along the tiber. especially in fall. the tiber itself is beautiful to me. it isn't very clean looking and i probably wouldn't want to swim in it (!), but there is something mysterious and wonderful about it. i like to imagine what life was like, before those trees, and before the walls, when the people of rome would walk to the river to plant their gardens.
i love to walk that river, crunching the leaves beneath my shoes...and watching the changing light.

20 things i love about italy.
1. i love hearing the sounds of lunch (or dinner for that matter) being prepared. i love walking down a little street and hearing clinking glasses. the sounds of silverware and plates being collected. maybe a pot being banged around a bit.
it is such a comforting feeling.....that somewhere, someone is taking care, preparing a meal and sitting down with to share.
i won't even get into the smells........

i am finding this interesting. never thought she would get married in the church. she just reserved the church her dad and i were married in.....31 years ago. wasn't sure about the dress. then she picked a beautiful, lacy, old-fashioned one. and i got a bit misty.
she has taken to cooking lately. soups and roasts. salads. shopping, so they have good food around. going to the flea markets and stopping into her local goodwills. loving most every plate she sees.
i am now convinced they did indeed give me the RIGHT baby at the hospital.

soon he will have a real bathroom!

some inspiration for july.

• drink more rose. you know, rose-AY.
  
• make a perfect, mustardy vinaigrette.
• eat more omelets.

esperpento. good stuff.

of course i forgot my camera, so i'll have to settle for this "through the window" shot. coolest little eatery in murphys, california...very good food and an adorable patio to eat it in. mismatched vintage seating, old restaurant pitchers and all those other things i'm a sucker for.
i would go back just to sit around on the patio...and maybe nose around the interior a bit more.

she made it seem quite easy. pull out a chaise lounge and some mismatched chairs. throw a cloth over an old beat up table. put some wildflowers in a few chipped cups and set them around. set the baby chickens in a pen in the yard....throw some chicken (not the baby chicks, but some other, unknown ones) and asparagus on the grill. uncork the wine.
it was a perfect late spring afternoon.

this ripple business is my new favorite thing. i'm amazed that i can actually DO this.

a new direction.

after years (11 to be exact) of lovely green walls and a jumble of mismatched furniture, i'm ready for a clean start. first came the buttery white walls. then came banishing all the beat up furniture to the basement.
i'm loving the clean look so much i'm not even going to hang a picture in this little corner of the dining room.
next comes some new furniture and some colorful pillows. a new rug and lamp shades. all in due time.....