Nea

Finally got to meet the grandpuppy today. Eric and Sarah came up for a visit with Nea.













She's a sweet dog....even though my cats were not convinced.

Corn

I've been enamored with fresh corn this season. I'm afraid I won't get enough of it before it's over. So I've been buying ears by the dozen from the best farm stand in the area, The Meadows Farm in Yorktown Heights. Some of it is going into the freezer for reclaiming during the dead of winter.

Tonight I cooked up a batch, cut it off the cob and made Cheddar Corn Fritters.
I found the recipe on a blog called: Taste and Tell. I added a few finely chopped jalepenos that I had left from making salsa.














They fried up beautifully in olive oil. Had to turn carefully with a pancake turner and a fork to avoid splatter. I didn't have any sour cream, so I mixed some Greek yogurt with chopped cilantro for a topper.....Yummmm.

Peekskill's new brewery

Last night we had a late supper at the Peekskill Brewery. This recently opened brew pub right near the train station in Peekskill was a welcome addition to our area which doesn't sport enough good places to eat. (unless you're a fan of chain restaurants)

The menu was interesting and diverse, the food was tasty and the drinks were good.
We didn't get there until almost 9PM and it was hopping....the bar was full but we'd made a reservation so our table we ready.

The newly renovated space was nicely done and the staff most attentive.
They have a wonderful selection of beers...and one that they make on site. a pale ale.
Too bad I'm not a fan of beer....but the martini's were excellent.

We'll certainly make a return trip!

is it more than I need to know?

yesterday I had some time to read through the newest issue of the New Yorker that Sarah has subscribed me to....and I discovered 23andme.....yep, that's the 23 pairs of chromosomes that determine everything about us.

For just $399 you can spit in a tube and have your DNA analyzed and find out if you're a candidate for DVT (deep vein thrombosis) or heart attack and about 90 other conditions....including whether you have the ability to smell asparagus in your urine! And I thought everyone could do that!! Until I discussed it with dinner guests last night and they didn't know what I was talking about.....either they don't eat asparagus.....or they don't have the gene!

I'm so tempted.....because I often have this overwhelming need to know.....but then again maybe it is just too much information. Although the ancestry part sounds pretty interesting.

Unless some family member wants to bestow a very special gift on someone who's about to turn 60!

always flowers

A trip to Brooklyn is always fun.

A visit with Sarah and Eric, lunch out, and always flowers!





These were left from the weekend and are now gracing my kitchen!

Yellow ranunculus and muscari....or grape hyacinths as I always called them. One of my favorites.

Slow learner?

When you finish canning your last batch of salsa...and finally figure out that doing the canning on the grill outside is better than making your kitchen feel like a sauna....you need a martini!!

And maybe some guacamole to go with it. A nutritious dinner, eh??

Back from the farm

Just returned from our day trip up to Catskill, NY to visit Stoneledge Farm. We had quite a day and it was so nice to be away from soapmaking for a day!

Here is one view of the farm with rainbow chard ready for harvest. And this is all organic, to boot! Somenone from Dancing Lamb Farm was selling grass fed lamb.

I also met Bernadette Kowalski from The River Garden in Catskill. She grows the lovely flowers you see below. What intense cockscomb...and Victoria blue salvia. And the amaranth.....lovely!




From there we headed a few miles toward the river (Hudson, that is) and to the quaint town of Catskill. After a lunch in town, we stopped into Variegated for a short visit. They sell the most incredible bedding and accessories that they design and make right there.
(They also sell our soap!)
Then back to the farm for raspberry picking. I had to practically drag Pentti from the bushes, once he got started. He said he hadn't pick berries since he was a boy in Port Arthur, Canada.

Here's what we came home with: 2 quarts of berries, 2.5 lbs. of honey from Stoneledge, zinnias, grass fed lamb and a special gift for Sarah and Eric from Variegated.....it's a surprise!

A CSA for us!

I think I've found a CSA for next season! Local harvest is a great site for those of you who might be looking for produce or meat that's grown/raised locally. Stoneledge Farm delivers weekly shares to a location less than 8 miles from me...and it's ORGANIC!

I'm really hoping we can get a share. The farm is located near Catskill, NY about 2 hours north of here and on Sat. they're having an open house for their members. I've emailed and found that we can go...and they'll be offering PYO raspberries, too. So, we're off to the Catskills on Saturday.


Maybe more raspberry jam in the offing...

This one's for you, Sarah!

A new batch of dog soap...in the molds. (it's not really that yellow...just the yellow counter in the workshop)

Someone in the family is thinking about adopting a dog. So....the request was made for dog soap.

We've made this before...just for the shop.

It's fragranced with a blend of essential oils that include citronella, pennyroyal and cedarwood....in a lavender base. Good as a bug repellent. And people like it around the holidays when they are looking for that 'something special' for their pooch.

down the rabbit hole

I go online this morning to do some shipping labels on the UPS site...and the Netscape home page has some news story about the best places to retire....


I get sucked in right away. I take a minute to look at the top six places by the water and Sequim, WA is one of them. Nice, huh??

I've looked at the town before...hey I just got an email yesterday from a condo place out there that's been trying to sell me a great retirement home.

Soon I'm looking at the floor plans of the condos...do I need one bedroom or two?
Would the kids come all the way to Washington state to visit?? My friends would be so far away...

Now I'm mapping it in Google maps to see just where this Sequim is located...and how DO you say that anyhow?


Sometimes I think it would be nice to move to a totally different part of the country...or even another country. But, you know, I've never lived anywhere but New York...though in different parts of the state.

Back to UPS...*sigh*

September??

6 days into Sept ....where have I been!
Enough food preservation! No wonder women stayed at home in the old days....its SO MUCH WORK to can/freeze/preserve!

I have to get back to soapmaking!! Lots of tea soaps to make for up coming wedding favors and Pentti wants his own batch of Frankincense/Myrrh soap! "What's that soap at the bathroom sink? I really like that...make a batch just for me!"

So, down to the soap kitchen. It's a good day to work. SO HUMID here.....after the rain last night. The workshop is the only place that's air-conditioned!

And I unpacked 100 lbs. of shea butter from Shea Radiance. Wow....this butter is incredible. I've had some problems with shea suppliers....not happy with their product. Had to return the last batch I got. But this is wonderful....creamy yellow, nutty aroma and no sediment on the bottom. (It comes in plastic bags that I unpacked into my 5 gallon pails, so I could see the bottom)

We put shea in all of our soaps...but now, we might have to resurrect our 25% shea butter soap!