Find to Feast, all in a day

My infrequent visits to this blog does not have to do with my lack of wanting to share tales of our life and photos of our days. The time that used to be spent taking and loading photos, writing and posting on the blog, is now primarily taken up by a small 25lb canine named Katie.

Katie and I, we walk.

We walk the streets of Bexley, sometimes in the dark, sometimes in the heat of the day. Sometimes we walk in silence, and sometimes I am entertained by podcasts, interviews, or music.

In short, instead of spending time on this page (which has changed on me since I logged on last time... has it been that long?), I am out and about, lost in my dog-walking world.



Until we stumbled on a pile of wood planks. They were left outside on the curb, to be taken by the garbage collectors. What I saw was not 'garbage', but potential. I grabbed one, and walked the dog home, with a 6 ft long piece of wood under my arm. The next walk took us back to the same pile, so I grabbed another. And then, I got smart and drove back with a car to pick up a few more. I had a plan.



And that's how this table was born. With a couple of abandoned shelves in the basement, and a few long nails, we made ourselves a new piece of outdoor furniture. Pretty much for free.



Within minutes, the table became a chemistry lab with a mad scientist.



And then it became the buffet table for a late afternoon feast of grilled pizzas and grilled caesar salad (thank you for sharing, Michael!).







It's a wonder how we lived without this table before, just hours ago... Within a day, we embraced and enjoyed this new addition and everything that can fit on it.

Weekending

We are all enjoying a warm, blustery, springy kind of day. I hope you are, too.

Spring!

We are enjoying a magnificent spring over here in Ohio. More photos can be seen on Cool Columbus blog, but this one here is our very own dogwood taken in front of the house. A special bloom amidst the spectacular season.

A flurry of a lot of things

We've had quite a week.



We left Columbus on a brisk day, just as Spring was about to knock on the door. Daffodils were blooming; the heat was about to be dialed up to record highs.  We drove East, all the way to where Lady Liberty stands proud and tall, facing the Atlantic ocean toward our friends across the pond. There, in the city that never sleeps, we were greeted with unseasonal temperatures and sunny skies. We were also greeted by many familiar faces, all belong to those we call friends.



We played tourists and went to the well known spots. We also played friends and took walks in the parks, shared meals, and reminisced about the old days. We toured the harbor; we took the subway; we even helped a stranger who suffered a seizure right there on the platform. We ate out, and in, and enjoyed one ethnic food after another, never repeating once.



We marveled at the sound and sights and talents of a show on Broadway. We even spent time with Monet, Van Gogh, and Rodin.


And Rocky, too, on his very steps leading to such an incredible place of the arts! Philadelphia...I will do a better job and give you more time, next time.


Then we turned around, drove south, then west again. We returned to Columbus in FULL BLOOM.











And one very happy dog. Happy Spring to all!

Cracking the Cheese Wheel

                                            This post also appears at Cool Columbus Blog



This box appeared in front of my door a few weeks ago, thanks to Tiffany at Whole Foods Dublin. She was inviting local bloggers to send in a recipe using the King of Cheese, the Parmigiano Reggiano. The recipe winner would be invited to help crack a wheel of the said cheese as part of their Guinness Book of World Records specialty event (all of the Whole Food stores in the US were to crack a wheel at the same time on March 10, at 3pm). Cool, yes?



When I saw the hunk of cheese, I looked around the kitchen to see what it could become. We are still in winter-mode here... nothing from the garden, nothing from the farmers market. A good piece of parmigiano like that does not need to be transformed, really. But I could not have sent in a recipe with a blank note card.

So I searched. In the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, I found some left over parsley. In the pantry was a jar of walnuts. Bingo. With a bit of grated parmigiano, some lemon juice and a good amount of extra virgin olive oil (I used my new favorite, The Olive Orchard Sicilian EVOO), I was game.

Two little (pesto-lover) tasters helped me perfect the flavors before I jotted down the measurements of each ingredient (I am well known for not measuring anything at all). I sent a quick email with the newly perfected recipe to Tiffany. I closed the note with my good wishes, and went on about my life as usual. The pesto was tasty. I was thankful for the complimentary cheese and an invitation to participate. But all of that was in the rear view mirror.

Until I found out that my recipe won the taste test!

I had to read Tiffany's email a few times before taking it seriously. I was the winner, she said, among many tasty recipes. Moreover, my presence was requested at the Whole Foods store in Dublin, Ohio, precisely at 3pm on March 10, 2012. The mission: to crack open a parmigiano wheel and break world record". No pressure.



I had never done anything quite like it. The wheel was big, and hefty (about 90 lbs). Thankfully, my Whole Foods cheese friend, Dallas, was there to help me.



At 3pm sharp, he seared the wheel. With two sharp knives, I dug in, pushing and pulling. I could feel my head warming up (wishing I had 3 more inches on me for better leverage), and really could not remember where I was or why I was attacking a huge mound of cheese. But I did it. It cracked with just the right amount of force. The crowd cheered. I felt accomplished, and actually... it was FUN!



The staff at Whole Foods could not have been nicer to me and my family. I felt the warmth and hospitality from everyone I met. Whole Foods in Dublin is clearly a destination shopping place with beautiful produce, tasty treats, and knowledgeable staff.

Apparently the winning recipe was available for sampling prior to the cracking event today. If you were not there to taste, here it is just for you. I do recommend using the real Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (like the one sold at Whole Foods) for best results.



Enjoy!

Parsley-Walnut Pesto

1 cup parsley leaves, de-stemmed and washed
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/2 cup walnuts
1 large clove garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (we used the Olive Orchard Sicilian Oil)
1 Tablespoon Meyer Lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper

In a food processor, combine all ingredients. Pulse until smooth. Adjust the amount of salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy over pasta, vegetables, as a spread on crackers or toast.

February Flora

Spring has been eager to start since the beginning of winter. It's been an anomaly, an unusually warm year, a year without real winter.

Back in November, I had a dream that provided me with such an optimistic outlook about the upcoming season. I dreamed that I woke up one day and said to myself: "Oh, that wasn't too bad!" THAT, in the dream, referred to winter.



And boy, was I right. Or rather, my dream, so far, has been proven truthful. Some dreams do come true, especially with a little help of El Niña (and you know...a little something called global warming)!



Generally, my early pre-dawn walks with the pup don't give me enough light for photography. Most days, we walk in silence, noticing small things as the world wakes up. More recently, the walks are getting lighter during the same time frame which allow us to notice more things: more life, more people, more flowers...in February.



Winter is still here, though, don't let the green stuff fool you. It was 24 degrees on our walk this post-dawn morning, a little later than normal work-week walks. I strapped on the camera. Katie and I were on a mission to find that perfect February flower.



It's not so easy, you see, to be a photographer and a dog-walker at the same time. Even with just 25 lbs on her, she can yank that leash pretty well if something excites her canine nose. We did what we could... We had to forgo some cool blooming anemone due to another dog barking right as we walked by the beautiful blooms. As I said 'Leave it!' to my dog, I had to say 'Leave it!' to myself, too. There will be another one on the walk, I assuaged myself.

Though not quite an anemone with a light peach color hue... We did find another February flower opening in the morning sun despite the freezing air.  The trusty crocus – always a sign of Spring – no matter how near or far.

A Sledding Retreat

Sometimes when you are casually re-invited to someone's house, you think they may be saying it out of courtesy...as in, in theory, you are welcome to return, but the chances of that happening is close to nil. Last fall, when we went out to Hopewell Springs, the home and property of our dear friend Michael, he made a suggestion that we came back out again sometime. He even suggested winter time as the hills on the property are good for sledding. I made a mental note, and thanked him for his generosity.



The more we get to know Michael, it was clear that his 'suggestion' was a genuine invitation. He truly meant what he said. And so, during the first real 'winter' weekend we have had all season, I recalled the invitation, and invited ourselves out to the country. Michael did not hesitate, and twenty four hours later, the kids were on the sleds, and the dog was bouncing in the snow.



I am pretty sure that at some point, we all had smiles on our faces, all at the same time.



Going out to Hopewell Springs is also a bit of a retreat. Michael is a lover of art, and beauty. His love of nature greets you as you enter the foyer that reminds you of a room in a natural history museum than an everyday front entrance.



As you find your way through his bright and airy home, you find more things that will stop you and invite you to linger. Collections of cookbooks, begonias, vases and pottery. Paintings that rival museum collections, some of which were done by Michael himself.



At one point, after a refreshing snowy outing and a scrumptious homemade sushi lunch, I found myself enjoying a cup of green tea, looking out to the snowy landscape outside, a cookbook on my lap. The feeling that sank in was one of peace and tranquility. I was warm, content, and happy.



It occurred to me that I was on a mini-retreat.



And I've got to believe that my children felt the same way. Thanks, Michael, for such a lovely gift of friendship and generosity; for sharing your home and your heart. We already look forward to returning to Hopewell Springs.

The Big One

On a snowy day last week, I checked for gifts from the coop as usual. Sometimes I find one egg, sometimes I find two, sometimes I find nothing, but an empty nest with two white golf balls.



That day, two beautiful newly laid eggs sat sweetly side by side. One was smaller than the other (We know that usually Squash lays a 'smaller' egg than Butternut). Together in my hands, they felt warm...and hefty. I thanked them, and came inside.



I placed the eggs into their usual containers, next to some of our own eggs, and a few left over from a local farm. And then it struck me. These eggs were a bit special.



Though we always think of Squash's eggs as being small, apparently they are the 'normal' size compared to the other chickens' (Squash's is the brown speckled one).



And then, there is... Butternut's! I think this image says it all.



It is so big that the carton can not close. It is so big that we were all amused by it, and wondering what (if anything) we should do with this BIG one. Our biggest egg yet!

P.S. Our chickens get scraps from the kitchen, as well as leftovers... from grapes to rice to meatloaf...Perhaps that explains it?!

The New Addition

It's been many months in the making, this new addition of ours. Hours of search, trips to the shelters, and talks about this possible new addition. Why do we want a dog? What kind of dog would suit our family? When should we get a dog? How would we take care of the dog?



These questions came up almost daily for what felt like months. The kids, well, let's be honest, one of the kids, fell in love with the idea of having a family dog. She put her heart and soul into searching for a possible canine: petfinder, dog breeds, and dog rescue websites were permanently fixed on our internet browser.



Being the parents that had never had a dog of our own, nor did we grow up with one, we were being blindly led by the young one. She devoured all books about dogs and learned the breeds by heart. Occasionally we would feel like we were leading her as well, from an intellectual point of view. Along the way, we met several possible canines. Some were too big, some were too small, some were too needy, and some were just plain 'not right.' There were disappointments, and tears, but we all remained patient.



And then, on the most snowy day that we have had during this very mild winter, we drove 45 minutes west of our home, to a rescue place. A Corgi rescue, to be precise. Dozens of short-legged friendly dogs greeted us at the door. The house was dark and musty of dog scents. We entered cautiously, looking for the dog, Katie, that the rescue couple had told us about. "She would make a great first family dog!" That sounded promising.



Katie was outside, going potty, when we got there. As soon as she came back into the house, she came right up to us. She licked us, let us pet her, quietly without barking. We took her for a walk around the block in the snow, and before we reached the end of the first block, we knew she was ours.

Katie the Corgi is our newest family member. Sweet, loyal with a little spunk. That's exactly what we were looking for. It was worth the wait, and oh, the things that she has already taught us in the way that only four legged friends can. Priceless.