Friday Food 07-30-21

This watermelon salad is one of my summer favorites.  But I can't make just a little bit, so I eat it several days in a row.  I suppose I could share some with one of my neighbors, but some how I don't manage to do that.  

The recipe, such as it is, came from a blog friend in Australia.  Maybe some of you know Meg Messervy.  She shared it with me in July 2009 and I have been making it every summer since. She told me then that she had the recipe from a friend who received it from a restaurant in America.  What she sent me all those years ago was:

"I made a lovely saled for my tea, using watermelon, orange, radishes & mixed green leaves, with olives and a light dressing of fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil."  

We talked back and forth about prep.  We agree that slicing the radishes a bit thick was best and using small greens was better than cut up romaine.  I don't mix in the greens because they tend to wilt in the leftovers, so I just mix them in when I serve up a bowl..  We both buy sliced black olives in cans.  As for how much of each, it is dependent on what is available, I guess.  I use a "personal" watermelon and only half of that, cut into about one inch chunks. (Dolcinea is the best brand, I think).  One large orange and a bunch of radishes, which is usually about six good sized ones.  Radishes are not always available, but they are a necessary ingredient.  I add a couple stalks of celery because I like celery and it adds a little more crunch.  This picture shows my largest mixing bowl and I have removed one cereal bowl full for my dinner.  So you can see it makes a lot.  Mixing the olive oil and fresh lemon juice seems to make a better dressing than just pouring them in individually.  

It is hard to believe that twelve years have gone by since Meg sent me the recipe.  We don't hear from each other often anymore.   I don't know if she still checks my blog.  But I will send this post to her so she can know how much I am still enjoying her special salad.  I have posted about this salad three previous times. 08-10-09, 06-25-14, 07-20-18.

#   #   #

 

Southern California 07-29-21

This is a typical parking lot in Orange County, California, although there isn't a Tesla.  White dogs are also popular!

#   #   #

A Little More KoKo 07-28-21

Yes, this is his most favorite thing to do, besides eating.  Tissues, paper towels, napkins - any soft paper - he shreds.  I try not to leave anything within his reach, but he manages to find things.  He will sometimes steal one from my pocket and run off before I can hang onto him.  

He doesn't especialy want to go for a walk, but does better in the evening.  In the morning he will take any opportunity to rest for a few minutes.  But in the evening he moves along and wants to run a bit now and then.  I can jog better than I can just stand still, it is actually less painful for me.  Odd. 

Playing with or sleeping with Froggy is his second favorite thing to do!  Poor raggedy Froggy, time for more surgery. 

#   #   #

Food Shopping 07-27-21

I know the saying, "never go grocery shopping when you are hungry."  But today I violated that and ended up with an overload of food for the next week - maybe even two!   Yesterday I shopped a little at Ralph's for things I cannot buy at Trader Joe's and today I hit Trader Joe's!  I did have a list of only five items that I really needed, but then spent about $75 total.  No going out to dinner for at least this week!

Several friends have told me how delicious the peaches have been at TJ's, so I bought a flat of 12 medium sized and offered to share with my friend Carol.   I think I will try to make a little jam with some of them, although I haven't made jam for decades.  I'll try "freezer" jam from a recipe online.  

When I stopped to drop off the peaches Carol had four lovely vine ripened tomatoes for me.  Aren't they lovely?  Since I refuse to eat store bought tomatoes each home grown one is very special.  

My dinner tonight was a slice of whole wheat toast with mayo, tomato, S&P, and romaine for a "lid".  Fabulous! 

I have cheese, chicken, pastrami, eggs, veggies, etc.  Enough already. 

      #   #   #

Sue Benner quilt in TCQC 07-26-21

This was the second of Sue Benner's quilts I added to the Collection and posted to this blog on Dec 27, 2010.  It was offered at an online auction by San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles.  I enjoy the obvious spontaneity of the pieces, all fused - lapping, on top of, repeated, and quilted with a wonky grid.  I have cropped the image of the front so the corner tassels don't show.  

"Checks & Bars Jumble" Sue Benner 2009 11" x 11" Fused and machine quilted.

Various fabrics, commercial and hand-dyed/painted.

Sue is very inventive in her quilt making. I have taken her classes at Empty Spools and elsewhere and she does challenge her students. 

A solid back - Marimekko fabric with title and signature in gold. One of Sue's signature techniques is leaving the tails on the threads she uses to overcast the edges of her quilts. Whenever I hang one of her quilts I fear that some helpful quilter will whip out scissors from her purse and trim off those dangling threads.

www.suebenner.com

#   #   #

 

Kind words/actions 07-22-21

We have all heard about or experienced some little kindness changing someone's life.  This didn't change my life, but improved my day.  I went to Physical Therapy this morning and it was especially painful.  Probably because I hadn't been for a week and have not been faithful about doing the exercises at home.  On my way home I stopped at the Starbuck's I usually go to and placed my order at the drive up sign.  Some of the employees remember my name (and KoKo's) which is always so gratifying.  At the pick up window the girl started to hand me my latte and then turned back.  When she handed it to me there was a little red star on top.   "What's with the star?" I inquired. "It is because you are a rock star, Del", she replied.  It was very sweet and immediately made me feel better.  As an old lady I usually feel that I am invisible, so it is nice to be recognized and for someone to remember my name.  

#   #   #

Sewing, Book Group 07-21-21

After the pandemic shutdown I am just not accustomed to having so much to do!  Yesterday especially, I actually had four things on my calendar, after weeks, months of blankness!  First we had to go for our morning walk about 7:15am because it warms up fast and by 8am it can be over 80F - summertime!  Then there was a QGuild ZOOM Board Meeting at 9:30am, at 11:30am KoKo had an appointment for booster shots and the vet's office was backed up so it took an hour instead of the expected 20 minutes or so.  I sewed all afternoon before taking my friend Dick out for sushi at our favorite place "Fish in a Bottle".  Carol has been in Texas for a week, returning today.  And then I sewed late into the night to finish the Challenge quilt for Surfside QGuild to turn it in today on the very last possible turn-in date!  

The reveal date for the Challenge is the August 10th IN PERSON guild meeting in a new meeting place.  So, I can't show you the finished quilt, but here are some teasers.  I doubt that anyone in the guild actually reads my blog, so it won't be too much of a reveal. 

This is the quilted background.  We had three FQ to include - at least 4" of one and 2" of the other two - and the theme was "Bucket List".  The blue on the left and the orange on the right are two of the fabrics, the other was used in applique.  The quilting suggests the different terrain of California, Oregon, and Washington.  My imaginary travels take me up I-5, Hwy 101, and US395.  

And here we are in the Lexus heading north.  Someday soon, I hope!  Sometime after Aug 10th I will post an image of the whole quilt.  It isn't my favorite I have ever made, but it forced me to sew and it does fulfill all the requirements. 

Dessert at Book Group was a lovely homemade cake at Nancy's house.   I didn't realize how much I missed the welcoming living rooms and tasty desserts  we enjoy each month.  For over 40 years we have met in the evening, but everyone is now retired and we find it is more difficult to drive after dark, so gradually we have switched to 11:30am with everyone bringing a sack lunch and the hostess providing dessert as usual.  What a lovely plate with the white cake, blue napkin showing a bright lemon; we also had lemonade to drink.  It was a lovely meeting.  The book was "Signature of All Things" by Elizabeth Gilbert.  It was a real struggle for me with a very unsympathetic "heroine", but the others seemed to enjoy it and we all learned something about science and research - mosses in particular.  Not a book I will recommend.  And I read it on Kindle which I don't much enjoy, I miss the feeling and sight of a REAL book.  One funny thing is that when I am done reading, my hand automatically reaches out for a bookmark to mark my place!  I guess after 70 years of marking my place, my brain is hard to retrain.  

#   #   #