Blackberry Beauty

When I buy berries, I often end up with more than I can eat before they start to go bad. Such was the case last weekend when I found some blackberries and raspberries in the bottom of my fridge, ready to take their final bow. At this point, not only is their flavor not at it's peak, but they're also not as firm as I like them to be. What to do? Make a crumble! It's really delicious with any kind of berry, but I like blackberries the best. As a plus, the color is beyond fabulous. I love to watch that luscious red liquor bubble in the dish. 

I have been a busy bee these past two weeks. I did finish all of my homework before my big math test (unfortunately I have another this coming Thursday!), and was even able to get the house really clean. If you don't have indoor pets, you might be shocked at how much dust and pet hair can accumulate in the corners of your house. Mine was really dirty because of the previous sick weeks and study-a-thon. Mom even came over to lend a hand as it all started to get overwhelming. After being bombarded by cat hair for a few hours, mom promptly purchased two air purifiers for my house in hopes of keeping down the debris. So far, I think they are AWESOME. I have definitely noticed a difference in the amount of hair in the air. If you are in need of a good little machine, you can find one here. 

This weekend, I wasn't going to let the cleaning get away from me. As soon as I got home on Friday I started cleaning, this time beginning with the bathroom as that is my least favorite spot to clean. I worked until about eleven at night, and finished the lion's share of weekly tasks. Saturday was one of those unexpected fun days we so rarely get. Mom called early to see if I wanted to get breakfast at her favorite coffee spot, The Cup. After a leisurely light breakfast and a bit of news paper perusing, we headed back to the house…or so I thought. Instead of driving home, mom drove straight to the local garden center. One of the many things I enjoy about hanging out with my mother, something we do really very seldom, is that I never need to ask where we are going. I am just along for the ride. At the garden center, we walked about admiring all the beautiful spring plants, vegetables, and herbs. Next we drove across town to a specialty garden center that carries a wide variety of native plants. The first thing mom said upon walking into the plant area was, "who would buy just a bucket of dirt?!" I laughed. Unfortunately, this seemed to be all the nursery had, as none of their plants were in bloom and still just roots in a bucket. Call me crazy, but when I buy a plant, I want to see the plant. Maybe that is just the city-girl in me talking, but I don't feel comfortable buying what I cannot see. From there we stopped at two more local nurseries to browse their selections and prices. The great part about the day was that I didn't spend a penny. I couldn't actually, as I had not taken my purse with me because our outing had originally only been for breakfast. What I was able to do was get a feel for what all herb and vegetable plants I wanted to plant this year, and where to buy them. Now, my goal is to get the raised beds weeded, and the weed and feed spread over the entire lawn. 

This weekend I also finally came to terms with the fact that "old man winter" simply isn't coming this year. I packed away my flannel sheets and pulled out the light-as-air beechwood sheets I sleep on during the summer months. Today was actually so pleasant I opened up the entire house to let in the sweet spring breeze. I am sad there has been no winter, but I am thrilled to have a spring-time. Here in Texas, it's either winter or summer. Fall and spring show up for about a week, and then vanish. Honestly, I am glad for anything so long as it is not summer!

 Making fresh squeezed orange juice with my great grandmother's juicer...

…And a little muscle.

Frittata's are great any time of year, but especially pleasing in the spring time, when it is warm enough that you no longer want a heavy hot meal, but still cool enough to stand over a stove to make dinner.  Frittata's are super easy too. It's one of the first things I learned how to make when I lived in Italy. Basically, you saute whatever ingredients you want to be in your frittata, pour an egg and cheese mixture over the whole thing, and bake it. Below is a Prosciutto Zucchini Frittata.

First I add the prosciutto to a hot pan greased with a bit of olive oil. I cook it until almost crispy and then add my zucchini (about two whole zucchinis, medium, were used for this 8 inch frittata). I cook them until translucent. Next I spread the mixture of meat and veggies evenly over my saute pan and pour in my egg/cheese mixture (6 eggs and 1/2 coarsely grated parmesan cheese). I turn the heat on the stove down to medium low and cook until I see a slight crust begin to form around the ring of the pan. Then, I transfer the entire pan to the oven (400 degrees) for anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes (or until the center is springy). Once ready, remove from the over and flip the frittata out of the saute pan and on to a serving plate. Sprinkle with more cheese, and enjoy.

Like I say, you can use this basic frittata recipe with mushrooms, sausage, spinach, whatever. My only suggestion is to 1) cook your meat in the pan first and 2) use whole eggs, not just egg whites.

In other news, I had my requisite embarrassing moment this week when I fell down a flight of stairs. I had decided to throw on some summer sandals in honor of the unseasonably warm weather, but forgot they had felt bottoms. When I went to take the first step down the tile stairs at school I went sliding. Fortunately, either no one saw me, or took enough pity on me to look the other way. It was scary, as falling always is, and I actually thought I may have broken my ankle. Needless to say, nothing was broken and I made my way to class, all but forgetting about the incident until the next morning when I woke up with a bruised arm and seriously swollen knee. I wont be wearing those sandals to school again.

In terms of knitting news, I think I am almost done with the body of the shawl. only a few more rows to go, and I think I will have the perfect length. I completely forgot to take a picture of it however, but I will definitely remember with my next post. After I finish knitting the body, I will block it, and add the tassels to the bottom…and then put it away until next winter as it is really too warm for a shawl anymore.

Thanks Mom for the beautiful flowers.

With Love

 Cookies made by my Mom and Nephew.

This week I was not at my best. I am fully ready to admit that fact. I stopped my yoga because I fell behind in my math work (seven chapters to be exact) and had an upcoming test. As such I also stopped eating well. No exercise, plus no nutrition caused me to really accentuate the negative in my life and at work. I know some people who can forgo these two things and keep a positive attitude and focused mind, but I'm not one of them. It has taken me a long time to realize this, but it's true. To function at my maximum I have to keep a pretty ridged schedule, and when I get…well, lazy, I always seem to pay the price. Fortunately, the cards were in my favor this week, as my test was moved back to this coming Tuesday. I still have one chapter to complete beforehand however, so tomorrow will be an early morning for me.

On Thursday this week I fell ill again. Just your average cold, but I was really uncomfortable for the past three days. I woke up today feeling better, but the people who I know who have had this say that just as you think you are getting better, you get worse again. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen to me.

I splurged on a new alarm clock recently. I have been increasingly tired in the morning to the point that I am sleeping through my morning alarm and winding up rushing out the door feeling frantic and angry. I finally decided what I needed was an updated alarm clock. Like most people, I have woken up to the radio clicking on (classical FM) for almost all my life. It was an okay system, but because I was unable to regulate the volume I found myself startled awake (if the alarm weren't loud I would sleep right through it). The Philips Wake-Up Light is the latest and greatest (at least of those in my price range) version of the alarm clock. It's based around the tradition of waking up "with the sun". The idea is that naturally, humans sleep at night and as the sun rises, we gradually awaken not feeling tired but refreshed. The clock simulates the rising of the sun by barely turning on thirty minutes prior to when you actually want to get up, gradually getting brighter and brighter until it is time for your alarm to go off, at which point some sound effect (nature or FM radio) comes on at just the slightest whisper and gradually increases to your set volume. At $78.00 for just the basic model, it's kind of steep. But, I bought it anyway. I was fully intending on returning it, but I have to say, I really think it was worth the money. I have used it two days in a row so far and found that I wake up more easily. We'll see how I like it after using it for one full work week, but I have a feeling I wont be returning it.

Searching for a new alarm clock got me wondering how people ever woke up on time before the alarm clock was invented. After some very brief computer research I have determined that the clock, in one form or another, has been around since the days of the Ancient Egyptians. I guess before that period, people were generally nomadic and society was largely agricultural so I assume they woke up with the sun and went to bed when it was dark. Another method that has been practiced for thousands of years was to drink copious amounts of water (or any beverage I guess) so that you would have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning… no pun intended. In Ancient Greece, there were apparently timekeeping devices that relied on water and once the contraption was full of liquid, a series of motions would be set into place that would ultimately let loose marbles on the floor. Wow, doesn't that sound like a fun way to wake up? My favorite though was reading about the "Knocker Uppers" who would, for a small fee, go about to every one of their client's windows to rap on the glass with a large stick or pole until the client actually got up out of bed. So, who woke up the Knocker Upper? From what I can surmise, a certain few people in the each village/town kept different hours, starting at dusk and ending at sunrise so there was a type of "circle of life" effect. For a more detailed history google this topic or search Wikipedia. Again, this information is not the based on scholarly research.

Finally, I got the results of my math practice test back. I only made a 46, so I will be taking the test again. Trying to keep my head up and think yogically. All things take time.

Denby - Aurora Blue. Notice how the liquid sits lopsided in the cup. No, it's not the table, it's the slight imperfection of the hand thrown stoneware.

This was my Valentines gift from Mom. I love it so much I have dubbed it my "weekend tea cup". I'll always know it's time to relax when I can pull this out of the hutch.

Real Comfort

Jane Austen once wrote that "there is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort". Like many of her quotes, I find this one to be a profound truth. If you couldn't tell before, let me be clear that I am a big Jane Austen fan. The title of this blog is actually from another Jane Austen quote, "Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings". The more I read Austen, the more I fall in love with Regency England. The manners, the dress, the unspoken protocol. It's all so complex, and yet when I read Austen I walk hand in hand with the characters through an unknown time without hesitation. Another thing I enjoy about Jane Austen's works is that I still see so many of her characters in my life today. Mrs. Elton for sure works in my office, and Mrs. Cole as well. The only sad part is that none of the men are still around…well, with the exception of the Mr. Churchill's and Mr. Crawford's and Mr. Collins's. But, I digress. 

Staying at home is a real comfort for me. I go out, in the evening I mean, very seldom. While I enjoy my home comforts, I know I should socialize more. So, I decided to host a Ladies Card Night at my house once a quarter. The plan was I would make dinner and dessert, and afterwards we would play cards until everyone was ready to leave. That was the plan anyway. Unfortunately, I ended up having to take my TEXES practice exam last Saturday morning which also happened to be the same day I was suppose to host a party three ladies. Let me just say that it was a busy day. 

The test did not go as well as I had expected and I am sure (even though I have not been told my final score yet) I will have to try to take the test again in March. In the end, I came out of the test feeling like the worst kind of loser. Every negative thing I could think about myself was thought and thoroughly mused over during the hour long drive back to my house. I could have cancelled the party right then and there, but I decided against it. What was I going to do? Sit and wallow on the sofa? No, it was better to just stay in motion, and in the six hours I had before my guests arrived, I never sat down. I was cooking, baking, cleaning, and generally tidying with a vengeance. In the end, the food was pleasant, and the cards lifted my mood immensely. 

The only thing left weighing on me now is school. I am about six sections behind in my math work and while I did get a chance to work some this weekend, I am really going to have to hustle before the test this Thursday. I know I will make the deadline, I just hope I don't have to stay up until midnight the night before to get the work done. There is nothing worse than falling behind at the beginning of the semester. 

 Photo's from Ladies Card Night (Pre-Party)

This is a Noritake tea service I bought not long ago. It's nothing fancy, but I really love it. All the pieces are stamped "Occupied Japan" on the bottom too, which I find very cool.

My sister gave me these plates when I moved into my house. I really love them so much, but have yet to be able to find any more of this pattern anywhere. It's by Franciscan, and called "Montecito".

Right about now you might be noticing how well my linens match my dishes. Well, that is all thanks to my Mom, who found them and gifted them to me.

We had tea with dessert. While most of the ladies are not as nuts over tea as myself, everyone enjoyed one cup. I offered everything from plain PG Tips to Pomegranate Oolong.

This is the sugar bowl in the Noritake set. The floral motif is just a film transferred on to the china (as most china is now) but the gold on the handles and top of the lid is actually hand painted. The Franciscan plates are hand painted as well. I love that hand painted look because you can see the small imperfections of the human hand.

I made these key-lime bars in a snap from a recipe in Tea Time Magazine. I chose this recipe because citrus is in season now and I could get fresh key-limes at the grocery store. I will post the recipe as well as tips on how "hand juice" those little limes with my next post. The recipe is essentially as shortbread bottom and key-lime custard baked on top, sprinkled with powdered sugar and key-lime zest.

I baked a lasagna for dinner that I had assembled and froze back in December. Had I more time I would have probably made a meal from scratch, but this turned out really well. I love using the disposable "loaf" pans for things like this because it makes clean up a breeze.

In closing, I will say that I have been 70% good about doing some yoga every morning or evening or both. As you can see, Frankie likes to join me. Her favorite pose is "Sideward Facing Cat"...