Flower whisperer

Swirled ... 

Today's post is dedicated to my neighbor, C, as she heads west to Abiquiu, New Mexico ... aren't her posies giving her an appropriate send-off?

I wanna do nifty things like this when I'm gracefully retired. Or now. Now would be good.

Have an unforgettable time, C!

Unfurled!

I yam growing pumpkins!

Orange they nice?

Shrumpkin = shrubbery + pumpkin

Right here in the city ... the birds took seeds from smashed pumpkins between my garage and the neighbor's and we've been enjoying watching the swirly-twirly vines working their way along our driveways. 

I have a pumpkin patch of three - two outside the back door and one entwined in a shrubbery. 

The neighbor has one perfect little squash-let. Splendid!

Close-up of shrumpkin stem

The neighbor's perfect squash specimen

Chewy, gooey fun

Yesterday, we had TWO birthdays to celebrate at work. Birthdays=interesting treats. 


In the morning, we were treated to marinated cheese and Ju Ju fish. Awesome combo. As much as I love cheese, I'd never heard of doing this before (the cheese thing, not necessarily pairing it with Ju Ju fish). Boy, am I behind the times. I Googled it and got more than 6 million results. Here's one version, with a photo of what it looks like. Recipes are all pretty similar, but the one we were served is below. (And mid-afternoon, we got Drumstick ice cream cones!)


Marinated Cheese

 Prep Time:  10 Minutes
 Chill: 8 Hours

Ingredients
1   (0.7-oz.) envelope Italian dressing mix   
1/2 cup  vegetable oil   
1/4 cup  white vinegar   
2 tablespoons  minced green onion   
2 tablespoons  water   
1 1/2 teaspoons  sugar   
1   (8-oz.) block Monterey Jack cheese, chilled   
1   (8-oz.) block Cheddar cheese, chilled   
1   (8-oz.) package cream cheese, chilled   
1   (4-oz.) jar chopped pimiento, drained   
   Assorted crackers   

Preparation

1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients. Set aside.
2. Cut Monterey Jack cheese in half lengthwise. Cut each half crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Repeat with Cheddar cheese and cream cheese.
3. Arrange cheese in 4 rows in a shallow 2-qt. baking dish, alternating Monterey Jack cheese, Cheddar cheese, and cream cheese. Pour marinade over cheese. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
4. Drain marinade; arrange cheese on a platter in rows. Top with pimiento, and serve with assorted crackers.

Note: Many of the recipes I found did not drain the marinade, so I'd say draining is optional

Savoring

Aunt Linda's homemade whole-grain breads ... heaven in a basket (in our N.C. hotel room).

Lentil sprouts, instant espresso and Eastern Shore 

coffee ... necessities when traveling!

Reflecting on a perfect weekend-y weekend and the winding down of another too-brief summer ...

I'm savoring ...
... the rain drippity-dripping outside my window

... those last delicious moment snuggled in flannel sheets

... a savory Sunday from beginning to end - church, lunchtime study with youth, chilled white wine in the afternoon with dear friends, a leisurely visit of chatting, visioning future writing projects, snipping fragrant herbs in the back yard, cooking (and eating) "slow food," delighting in a frolicking puppy, a long walk wrapping up a splendid day

... the joy of cooking and serving a big dinner with a crew of young people and reliving our time at Youth 2011 at Purdue just two months ago

... a crisp late-summer Saturday morning at the farmers market filling up on the season's last tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and peaches - plus capturing moments with my sister and catching up with (and making new) old friends

The doc brought flowers to 

beautify our hotel rooms.

... memory-making with loved ones during a whirlwind trip to my nephew's wedding in North Carolina just over a week ago - dancing, swimming, eating, sharing stories and oh, so much laughter

... thoughts of "gracious living" at Green Lake - long walks and cocktail hour and drinking wine out of Barbie glasses on the dock with my cousin

... nine jam-packed days with my favorite college student before her senior year

So much to savor. I don't think I'll ever stop.