Boots, bowls, croquettes and mysteries

Chapter One Boots

So I retrieved the frozen boot, removed the bag of ice

which had taken on the shape of the boot interior. Next time I'll keep the ice to reuse, didn't think about this till it had thawed.

Then tried both boots on. Definite improvement, and to help preserve the new size, I rammed in an old pair of keds, which I could force in well and will be able to retrieve okay.

So far so good. I may need to treat the right one again. I may reserve the spray when it arrives to use outside in milder weather, Quinn, ty.

Chapter Two Bergamot Bowls 

So Sunday I painted them with a favorite light gold metallic acrylic, then drew with black marker.

I'm quite pleased. They look like thin walled pottery. I decided not to preserve the natural interior, since without lids, the scent would evaporate. So I painted the lot.  The top picture is nearer the actual color. 

This was a nice experience. I have two more lemons to go, and maybe I'll do the decoration differently.

Chapter Three All Purpose Croquettes and Bars 

These used up the last of the Christmas corn and one remaining potato, mixed with caramelized onions and garlic, steamed cabbage, ham dice, ground flaxseed, a bit of flour and an egg, minced parsley, mashed chickpeas.  Seasoned with salt and paprika.

And a sauce of yogurt, garlic, lemon juice. 

The tablet was open to a recipe I departed from so completely there's no point in referring to it! But it did give me the mashed chickpea idea.

The garnish is a sprig of peppermint I have growing in the kitchen, still quite aromatic despite the waning sunshine.

And later I made a batch of peanut butter granola bars because I'm tired of toast for breakfast.

Chapter Four Great Mystery Short Story Discovery 

I just found this and she's a very entertaining read, a Victorian era detective with her sidekick Ivy. It's a Sherlockian approach, deductions from clues, and really good.

Happy day everyone. I certainly had one. Make all the things.

Happy as a Clam Fritter

Or croquette, as the posh folks put it.  Last evening wondering what to have for supper, wandering about hopelessly, wanted a change from veggies, I found a can of baby clams waiting for just such an evening.  

Drained them (the juice now in the freezer ready to add the next time I make clam chowder) and since they were already small, didn't mince them further, just mixed with an egg, a big spoonful of homeground lentil flour, little bit of garlic, little dab of mixed mustard, sauted in olive oil.  Done.  Bit of ketchup, and those little yellow shreds are lemon zest, from my little collection in the freezer.  Little glass of white wine, seafood you know.  As if I had choices of wine in the house, heh.  

My food designer seems to have put this in upside down, but she claims that's what a visitor would see, as opposed to the diner. Well, considering I don't pay her anyway, I can't threaten to stop her check.

And another lot for this evening, perhaps with the addition of my Indian spicy crumb things.

I'll be interested in a nonveggie supper again, after an afternoon of farmshare chopping and dicing.  Only one more week of the farmshare, and my freezer is about ready to stop.  Me too.

Blogging Around the World, Boud Does Her Bit

I was invited by Mary Anne of  here  to take part in the Around the World blogging project, which consists of being invited by a previous blogger, linking back to her, there you are, Magpie! and sending you on to other bloggers who have agreed to play, while answering various questions on my art, how I do it, why, and so on.  She is a wonderful crazy quilter and has many other stitching adventures going on at any time you check in there, is being published in an upcoming calendar of crazy quilting, and is a guest lecturer at quilting guilds. Browse her blog for a good read. Make a cup of tea first, you'll want to stay.

Here I have to say that this is not my art blog, this is my cooking, reading, grammar policing, nature watching, pet following, bloviating blog, into which my art life doesn't usually come, though my character dolls, the Dollivers, which I created and which then took on a life of their own do come, all the time!

So I would like to refer you over to Art, the Beautiful Metaphor,  here which is a play on words around the Soccer, the Beautiful Game meme,  to read my findings on this.  I already sneakily referred you to a wonderful blogging poet, at http://redspork.blogspot.com/ a couple of days ago, and my invitations to participate in the BAW were gracefully declined, people too modest to want spotlight despite their massive talents. 

Anyway, back at Field and Fen  I was browsing through Ina Garten in prep for my upcoming meeting of the Bite Club, and thought, hm, can I make something that I can take with me and serve at room temp as a sample.  So I made, or tried to, these Parmesan Crisps.

Now, I readily acknowledge that, block parmesan being way out of my budget, I subbed with grated parm and coarsely grated sharp cheddar, figuring that would help it hold together.


Followed the recipe very carefully, picked fresh thyme, crushed the black peppercorns in my pestle and mortar, all very elemental, and found that the crisps fell to crumbs even after cooling as instructed.  Couldn't be lifted off the parchment paper and onto a rack to cool further. So perhaps block, translation expensive, parmesan has different qualities that make it work, not blaming them, just reporting.  This may a place where you can't substitute.

So, since, as my Mom used to say, it's all good ingredients, I wondered how to rescue this mixture.

Which I did by adding a bit of split pea flour, some milk and an egg, and I made these nice croquettes, a couple of which are great to go with my sweet potato soup for lunch today.  A bit heavy on the salt for my taste, but they sauted up lovely and browned very obligingly for me.

So this is a kitchen rescue, I guess.