Vanity oh, Vanity

After the last cake for a friend's birthday I made, I found out that one of the guests had posted an image and a statement about my domestic acumen that made me blush on their blog, and so, OF COURSE, the pressure was on for this one. I have been wanting to make an 'icebox' cake for ages, since seeing the recipe on smitten kitchen, referred by popcorn and apples. You layer chocolate wafers between whipped cream. I LOVE whipped cream. Marie wanted chocolate so I made the whipped cream chocolaty. It ended up not lovely as the image in smitten kitchen, but UGLY and mis-shapen!! I know it was my first try and I would get better, but how could I present that for my blogging friends? My vanity was at stake, so I made another batch of regular whipped cream and spread it over and around the ugly cake to make it pretty (is that make-up for cake?). I then dusted it with a little chocolate powder. Voila', a pretty cake. It tasted ok, but I preferred the crepe cake, this one was a little sweet for me.

Trish had to leave for another engagement, so Lena, Marie (birthday girl) and I walked downtown to the Gallery Stroll. I will be honest, one reason I love the gallery stroll is the art, but another, I always run into people I know, usually cousins, and that makes me feel popular. My cousina Clare did have a print up in the basement of Slow Train, a music store, it was very good. Of course saw cousins there. Same thing at the farmers market. I always see ward members and/or cousins and I like that.

I hadn't had dinner and so around 10 we ended up at Sage's, a vegan restaurant, and Brad joined us and we sat outside enjoying mushroom escargot and later our vegan dinners. I don't know how the conversation went there, but cannibalism came up. After all what is a more natural topic of conversation at a vegan restaurant? Marie and I are both perverse or practical enough, that we were fully in favor if necessity dictated. Lena and Brad were against. Oh, well.

How Green Was My Valley

The title of a book/movie placed in Wales. I have lived in Wales and it is lovely, but I have never read the book nor seen the movie. Today though a group of friends went hiking up the Bonneville Shoreline trail. This veiw is overlooking City Creek Canyon. It is more green than usual due to our wetter than usual year. We were trying to look like bold explorers, but the camera-person was a little slow on the taking and everytime I thought she had taken the photo and began to move, etc. she would claim I had ruined the shot. Here I am passing my binoculars to some terribly persistant fellow. Lena and I tried to dodge him the whole hike up, but oh, boy didn't he persist. BOTHER!! Then we hurried down the mountian and went to Cucina's, a little deli in the Avenues. It was 5 minutes before closing, but they let us in. Lena got a delicious s'mores brownie (which she shared with me) and I got a little chicken penne salad as I had not had dinner yet. We then sat outside on a bench and enjoyed the summer evening. There is nothing like a summer evening to make you feel glad to be alive.

Brazil- It's only a state of mind

They need to come up with a quick key symbol that will make music notes around a word so you know you are supposed to sing it, rather than speak it. Brazil. After seeing the movie I can only sing the title (similar occurrence with Don Giovanni). The movie was recommended by DW, knowing how I like dystopian sci-fi. I loved the movie. It is a wonderful commentary on bureaucracy and wasting paper, but also a love story. The kiss is so filled with passion and tension that you have time to become invested. There they are lips close, he is filled with desire to kiss her, but also trepidation, a little closer, backing up, closer, the tension is divine. I think it may be the best on-screen kiss I have ever seen, well, off screen too. I promptly ordered the movie on Amazon as well as Amelie (just because I like it too). Then I returned the movie to Netflix so that I could get my next movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still, also recommended by DW. My sister remembers taking exception to the "un-happy ending" of Brazil, but after seeing enough foreign films I have become inured to tragic endings. And I don't think the end is that tragic anyway.

Additionally I have taken every opportunity to use my new favorite word.

INCHOATE

in·cho·ate
Pronunciation: \in-ˈkō-ət, ˈin-kə-ˌwāt\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin inchoatus, past participle of inchoare to start work on, perhaps from in- + cohum part of a yoke to which the beam of a plow is fitted
Date: 1534
: being only partly in existence or operation : incipient; especially : imperfectly formed or formulated : formless, incoherent.

D.H. Lawrence uses the word several times in his book Women in Love. I used it in two of my final papers this semester.

Great Crepe Cake, Batman

Well, a whole year since I posted last. I have been busy. I moved and started grad school. Now it is summer. Last Sunday a few friends came over to celebrate Lena's birthday. It really was only an excuse for me to show off my new red sofa and to try a recipe I saw in Gourmet, A Crepe Cake. First off, it just looks GREAT! and was a chance to showcase my new cake dome. Secondly, it contains Grand Marnier, and I look for every chance to use liquor in my cooking. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/241754. I think my photo is better than the one Epicurious is using. It was amazingly simple to make and I added lavender to the mix as well. I served Elderflower Presse from Cost Plus World Market for drink as Lena is British and loves the drink. Sweet, but a good choice. Hurrah, it is fun to cook. Wait, I don't think making crepes counts as "cooking", oh, well.

This evening, the birthday girl of last week, Lena, called and suggested a walk. It was a lovely spring evening and so we went on a walk up into the Avenues, we ended up in the cemetery there, it was a lovely walk in and out of the lanes. Saw some interesting headstones too. We are both in favor of simple & cheap funeral arrangements. I am glad she can enjoy a graveyard, some people don't.

Dogwood blossoms

Tomorrow is Arbor day. I meant to send out cards, since I am the only arborist many of my friends know. I feel responsible to inform them of the important holiday. I have neglected my duties. I will try to make or find an e-card to send.

Having lived in San Diego the past 4 years, I forgot what Spring is like. It is amazing, things grow so fast. It seems each day more is green and lovely. I got to drive to Sequim, WA today. I drove up the 101 HWY, through the edge of the Olympic National Forest. I went up for some work near Gardiner, WA, but went further to Sequim to have lunch with a friend, Sue, who has recently moved to Port Angeles. Oooooh and don't get me started on the DELICIOUS lunch we had at the Alderwood Bistro, mmmmhhhh. As I have been enjoying spring I have most enjoyed the Dogwood tree. In books on the meaning of trees and flowers, it says the Dogwood signifies ‘I am indifferent to you’. This is unfortunate. Native Americans took the arrival of the white flowers as a signal it was time to plant crops. It is also the state tree of Virginia. They also say in a pinch it can be used as a primitive toothbrush. As you chew on the end for a few minutes, the fibers separate and become soft, forming a brush.

That is all I have to say for now, I want to go and make a card for Arbor Day. By-the-by, Arbor Day was started in the state of Nebraska by J. Sterling Morton on January 4th, 1872. He was a legislator/farmer who proposed that an annual day be observed especially for the purpose of planting trees. He felt that Nebraska was particularly barren of trees. On the first Arbor Day observed, over a million trees were planted in Nebraska. Having since been adopted by all states, it is observed the last Friday in April.

Sharing my table

Sharing my table is a delight, even though it is small and folds up and away. A visit from friends has been my first opportunity to host since moving here. A delightful description is given at <http://popcornandapples.blogspot.com/>. We had a very late dinner of oyster stew, which really turns out to be a chowder, so I don't understand the designation of stew.


We ate well. Rosey's on Rogers was a venue I had been waiting for a chance to try. We all had the special and delighted in the intermezzo, a light lemon & mint sorbet.

By-the-by, I have found that, when out to dinner with friends and the food is fine, I catch myself humming. The way you hum when you feel full of happiness. Maybe that is why I feel akin to Winnie-ther-Pooh, who also hums when happy. I had a beau who thought it slightly offensive that I hummed when we ate. He particularly disliked it when we were with company. I don't think he ever understood why I hummed, even though I tried to explain it. He must not have been a hummer.


Now, more of our adventure...we rode the ferry Klickitat from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island for a VERY blustery run about Fort Casey. The wind blew and the ferry rocked, and truthfully I was uneasy. The next day, as I returned to do work on Whidbey Is. the ferry attendant informed me that the ferry had a crack in the hull and would be out of service. Egad, what a shave with disaster. <http://www.spu.edu/casey/>

As I go walking...

I left the house at dusk to walk to the food co-op. The dumb dogs were out on Coleman so I walked the back way and got caught up in blackberry brambles, oh well. Blood oranges are in season. I don't like regular oranges, but for some reason I lOVE blood oranges. I got several. I got lots of groceries, well, not so many they couldn't be carried home in one well stuffed bag. As I walked home it was chilly, but in that cheerful way that adds rose to your cheeks and nose. The film of clouds made a rainbow aureole around the moon which was 37% of full. The stars peeked around clouds and I was happy. I love walking around in the evening. In San Diego, the area of town I lived in was too dodgy to walk about in. It made me so grateful to be in a new place. I am going to research blood orange recipes, make dinner and then indulge in some coconut milk ice-cream. I am anticipating much pleasure from it.

p.s. On the google homepage you have the option to track the phases of the moon. I like that.

p.p.s. I found a great recipe. A version of a fennel salad I already know I love. Slivered fennel bulb, olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper.
http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/1999/batali/fennel.htmll

There is also a great article to listen to on NPR about blood oranges. .

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7344360