This could be you, circa 2062.
Just a friendly reminder that whatever you get up to tonight, everyone and her three-year-old has a camera.
I love this photo. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on in this photograph, but I am pretty sure the man wearing the crown is also wearing a diaper. This is one of my junk-shop finds.
Finished reading a charming book called Clara’s Kitchen: Wisdom, Memoriesa and Recipes from the Great Depressionby Clara Cannucciari and her grandson Christopher Cannucciari. There is a definite tendency toward dressing everything in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Though I don’t think kale shows up in this book, since Trader Joe’s made it easy for me to include super-healthy kale in my diet by offering it chopped and pre-washed, I’ve been trying to think of ways to use it.
For a single serving I steamed about a cup of kale in the microwave while I sautéed three or four mushrooms in olive oil with a small clove of garlic. Added the kale to the cast iron skillet in the last minute or two of cooking, which seems to have given it an interesting flavor. Tossed that with the angel hair pasta and sprinkled Parmesan over it with a bit of salt and pepper. Delicious and satisfying!
DT & JP invited us out to Adelanto for dinner and games. No, we didn’t play Get the Guests, we played Scattergories. It was so much fun we lost track of time and stayed till 11:30. This is late for us! Gorgeous drive out Pearblossom Highway. Yummy turkey tacos at the end of the road. Good times!
Just another evening on the edge of the Mojave Desert.
Surrounded!
Hydra and I went for a drive out to Fillmore on Wednesday to see our friend who runs the Kenney Grove campground there. We picked up tacos on the way and had lunch at one of the picnic tables. Beautiful weather for it, and great company. We walked around the park feeling a little homesick (we camp here four times a year) while RL regaled us with tales of her tree trimming trials and triumphs. She keeps this 15-acre campground like a well tended backyard/botanical garden.
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Just a weird thing that happened with the candle wax in this bottle that I thought you should know about.
I’ve returned to writing by candle light in the early mornings whenever I can, and I love it. It really brings the world down to size for me.
Our Christmas tree. It was a sunny cool day.
One of the nicest things about Christmas in Acton. A bunch of kids come caroling every year! This year they sang “Jingle Bell Rock.” 
The 1,000 piece puzzle Hydra picked out for us to do with the California cousins between mimosas, appetizers, gifts and dinner. It’s a reproduction of A Sunday in the Park on the Island of La Grand Jatte. We did not get far with it!
Really nice day. Beautiful out, so we also took a fire road hike. Lovely meal, great relaxed company.
If there’s a good place to get fresh bagels in the Antelope Valley, I haven’t found it. I’m not sure anyone’s even trying!
But one of my treats to myself this holiday season was a small package of smoked salmon from Trader Joe’s. I had it on thinly sliced oven toasted bread (that par-baked kind TJ’s sells) with cream cheese, tomatoes and onions. Mmmmm!
It looks like we went somewhere really exotic, doesn’t it? Just the dome at the Americana at Brand in Glendale.
The scene from the 3rd floor balcony of the Barnes & Noble, including the trolley going by. We like to go see the lights somewhere every year.
The big tree up close.
The nuts and bolts under the tree…some ornaments have fallen!
Today I tried a recipe for mini Parmesan shortbreads. I was supposed to be able to roll out the dough and cut it with cookie cutters. I was hoping I could use my little star shaped cutters, but would have been happy using my new scalloped round cookie cutters.
It was just not happening. I added more butter to no avail. I made one batch in the food processor and one using my trusty old hand pastry blender. Neither formed a dough. Faced with tossing 1 1/2 cups of cheese along with other ingredients, I cast about for a better idea.
So I pressed the “dough” into the bottom of my mini-muffin tin and baked them up. It worked!
I added a half teaspoon of garlic and a teaspoon of dried oregano to the original recipe for a little extra flavor and color. You’re supposed to top these with something… Not sure whether I will or not. They are very rich and yummy on their own.
Here’s the recipe, in case you want to try it and tell me what I did wrong! From the wonderful hors d’oevres by Eric Treuille & Victoria Blashford-Snell, which I have had out from the library for weeks and hope (hint hint!) to receive for Christmas.
Tiny Parmesan ShortBreads
Makes 40.
1/2 cup all purpose flour, sifted
salt, cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp cold butter, diced
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Essential equipment: 1 1/2 inch fluted pastry cutter, parchment paper [not so essential in my opinion]
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place flour, a pinch each salt and cayenne , butter, Parmesan, and any additional flavoring, if using (garlic!) in a food processor. Pulse to create a smooth dough. Roll out on a floured surface to a 1/4 inch thickness. Stamp out 40 rounds with the pastry cutter. Place dough rounds on parchment paper lined baking sheets 3/4 inch apart and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.
Can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and crisped in a 400 degree oven for 3 minutes.
Basic Christmas roll cookies, dolled up with frosting. I use plastic bags with one corner clipped off for piping bags.
Not sure these cookies will make it all the way to their destination in this configuration…too cute, or just cute enough?
