Angie: May 2009 Archives

Spring of '07 I planted one little ninety-nine cent cup of mint. It was planted not only as an herb to use but mainly as a plant to pretty up the little rock path from the back door to the pool. It certainly has done its job. I love walking past and catching the hint of mint in the air.

It came up a fairly heavy rain last night. The night rains wash away the stale funk of heated days and usually leave cool damp mornings in their wake. This morning the mint is dancing in the air. From where I sit every once in a while I catch it's perfume as I type. It is a pleasant feeling. I always smile and feel lifted when I can catch a hint of things from the yard as they pass through the window and find me in the house. Not just the mint and herbs but other things too like the honeysuckle across the yard from our bedroom window

The under a dollar plant is now 100+ times its original size. It extends four foot in one direction and about three feet in another. I seem to have put this one in a perfect place for it to thrive. The parsley did not like being its neighbor and ran away never to be seen again.

So, here's where I need your help. We use the mint for drinks - mojitos, mint juleps, etc and for garnishes and such. However, I am not satisfied. I want to do more with it.

I will be making mint jelly. I mean, we raise lambs for goodness sake. We have to have the mint jelly. Oh, this reminds me. When the backyard initially sprount green and grew knee deep over night thanks to 15 straight days of rain (NOT complaining!) we put the sheep in the back area andlet them eat down all the green grassy goodness. Like goats they pretty much ate everything else too. They are fabulous at pruning bushes! However, they do not like the mint. They ate the peonies, the forsythia and other things along the path but gave the mint a wide birth. Interesting, no?

I will transplant some of the mint to be closer to the honeybee boxes. The mint is good for them and helps keep away mites that can make them sick.

But what else can I do with it? I need some ideas here. I do plan to invest in a new dehydrator this year but right now it seems to early to wack it out up and dry it. I save the drying for late summer.

What can I do with eight feet of fresh mint that just keeps growing?

I like blue cheese - on salad, as dip and with buffalo wings. However, there is a huge difference in a bottle of blue cheese dressing and a wedge of beautifully aged blue cheese - preferably Italian blue cheese. I honestly am lacking for any words to describe it. All I can say is that all blue cheeses are not made equally. The gorganzola from Italy strikes my fancy the best.

Which brings me to this statement: I have had an inexplicable craving for gorganzola cheese lately. No, more like a mad desire. I am lusting for the creamy tang of the blue veined monster that beckons me in my dreams.

I was in Costco the other day and finally gave into the urge. I purchased a 2lb wedge of BelGioioso Crumbly Gorganzola and I have been in a food heaven the last few days. It is not from Italy but it is made by an italain family who made it back it in the day in Italy.

I have had a buffet of varying salads loaded with my blue-eyed lover.

We grilled steaks and I had a large slice melted with butter over the top of my ribeye.

I have indulged in pears and pecans and walnuts and cubes of crumbly cheese.

Cheese and crackers. Crackers and cheese. *Sigh*

Trust me on this one. Go eat some cheese. This cheese. Then come back and tell me what you think.

Seriously.

In September 2008 following my 42nd birthday I developed an ear infection that hung on until January 2009 before it was healed. It is now April and it is back.

My teeth have decided they no longer want to live in my mouth and I am in the process of extensive dental work which included a root canal and crown. Midway of the root canal the over zealous nature of a dental drill sent the particular root into the netherworld never to be seen again and I had to have oral surgery. Next is some dental procedure to replace the tooth. I do not plan to meet Jesus as a snaggle tooth even though my teeth seem to have other plans.

The skin on my face, particularly on my forehead, has decided it would prefer to be a flakey oil slick that requires twice daily buff puffing and moisturizing. I am investing heavily in Oil of Olay from here on out.

My chin has assumed it is of the male origin and has sprouted a beard. (I am ashamed and cringing to write that.)  :(

While giving birth to Steven I was forced against my will to be catheterized. The hospital makes it manditory if you have an epidural, which I did not know previous) to exonerate them from an liability of a pregnant woman walking around and causing injury to herself. At the oddest times my bladder leaks and has done so since the procedure. It was NEVER an issue at any time prior to that moment in the hospital. Let me direct you to this documentary you need to see!

I have the oddest twinges at time. For instance, this current run is like an electrical zap along my hip if I move in a certain way. Believe me I am trying not to move in that way. I will be a pathetic mean old lady if this keeps up.

I have had 8 varying viruses this year. Each one following a virus invading a different member of my household. They get one or two and I get them all as I am the one designated to care for the sick.

I also got new glasses a couple months ago. 'Progressive' lenses. Meaning I am wearing bifocals but you can't tell that I am. I hate to admit it but I sure can see to sew a fine stitch now.

I could list more but I am scaring myself.

I have 3 months left until I am 43.

Someone please me it will get better.

Each year Colby requests something nontraditional for her traditional birthday cake. We have had everything from cherry pie to doughnut cakes. This year was no different. She requested a sno ball cake. Indeed. A recreation of the famous Hostess sno ball snack cake.

For those not in the snack cake know a sno ball is a chocolate cake filled with creme and topped with pink marshmallow and coconut. Sounds - ummm - interesting, no? Yes!

This birthday cake is a Sno Ball for a grow up.

I am lacking in photos as I didn't have enough hands to complete each task and take the pictures so bear with me.

I baked a devil's food chocolate cake using a dome shaped pan I already had. The pan wasn't really half a sphere but if I could have found the cake pan I wanted it would have been! Instead of white chemical creme filling that needs to ripen 6 weeks before it is consumed I opted to change up and pipe icey cold creamy chocolate mousse as the interior filling.

Next came the marshmallow icing.

The icing sounds complicated but it is really easy. Also super quick if you have a stand mixer that can do speeds high enough to break the sound barrier. Yay for Kitchenaid! BTW, I have it in red. :)

The cake was finished with shredded coconut and birthday candles. Please, if I ever teach you anything, for cake topping, garnishment, etc. please do not use cheap coconut. Pay the 50 cents extra and get the Baker's angel flake or another national brand like almond joy. You want a sweetened, moist flake not a dry shred.

Slicing into it you can see it is a lovely cake. It also tastes great. After a huge steak dinner with baked potatoes, asparagus, rolls and sauteed mushrooms and onions we barely had room for a taste of cake. We had to put off the cake for a while before we could manage to swallow a piece. Today it will be thoroughly enjoyed! I'll have mine with coffee.

I think the smiles and cake crumbles on the boys cheeks says it all.

She was the prettiest baby I had ever seen.

10 days old

20 years old

I think she still is.

Happy Birthday, Colby!

Today at the home of the big red couch chicks and quail are hatching!

In less than a year these orpington chicks will weigh in at 8 - 12 lbs. At that time only 1 will fit in this bucket.

These are jumbo coturnix quail. All of these tiny babies will fit in the palm of you hand. In about 6 weeks the females will be mature and will start laying eggs. The eggs are huge compared to their body size. All I can say is yeowch! lol

 I hope they are not all male. I don't need another quail cock. Not only are they loud but they fight to the death. Yikes.

He used his "maginations" and made himself a helmet.