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!