Hi! My Name is Lavinia
Hello everybody, I’m new to the family of sock monkeys who live here but I understand they are a pretty friendly bunch. Well at least the two that live in the master bedroom, they’re young and kind of cool. Not like the the two old fogies that seem to stay in the guest room – Mmmmm I wonder if they are guests??
See previous blog about Sock Monkeys listed below.
Posted in BY THE WAY, Ha-P 2 B in OG | Tagged Monkey, sock monkey | 1 Comment »
Image via Wikipedia
Well Christmas dinner came and went and everything was delicious and we are still eating leftovers. So there’s no more count-down to Christmas dinner, instead I have an interesting recipe to share with you today.
Last night I had a pretty big argument with my husband and don’t worry we are all made up – at least on the surface for sure. Perhaps the underlying issue is something we can’t work out completely. So in that vein, I offer you the famed recipe for Reconciliation Soup.
RECONCILIATION SOUP
1/2 cup portabellla mushrooms (1/4 cup if dried)
1/2 cup porcini mushrooms (1/4 cup if dried)
1 cup of brown mushrooms
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 TBS olive oil
2 cups of beef, chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup Port wine
1 TBS truffled olive oil
2 TBS sour cream
Saute garlic and mushrooms in oil, stirring vigorously for about 5 minutes
Add the stock, truffle oil and Port wine
Season with salt and pepper
Cook over low heat with the cover on until the mushrooms are soft
Process in the blender, soup should be thick
Serve in warm bowls, garnish with sour cream
Recipe made famous by Isabel Allende – who adds the following instructions:
If you can’t find fresh mushrooms and must use dried ones, soak them in 1/2 c. of good red wine until they spring up happily; in the meantime, while they’re soaking, I calmly drink the remainder of the wine. Then I mince the garlic clove for the pure pleasure of smelling my fingers, because I could just as easily use it whole, and then saute it with all the mushrooms in the olive oil, stirring vigorously for a few minutes — I’ve never counted, but let’s say five. I add the stock, the port, and the truffled olive oil — not quite all of it. I leave a couple of drops to dab behind my ears; let’s not forget, it’s aphorodisiac. I season with salt and pepper, and cook over low heat with the lid on until the mushrooms are soft and the house smells like heaven. The last step: process it in the blender; this is the least poetic part of the preparation, but it’s unavoidable. The soup should end up with a slightly thick texture, like mud, and with a perfume that makes you salivate and awakens other secretions of body and soul. I put on my best dress, paint my fingernails red, and serve the soup, in warmed bowls, garnished with a dollop of sour cream.
Posted in Smooth or Crunchy, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday | Tagged Black pepper, Cook, Garlic, Isabel Allende, Mushroom, Olive oil, Port wine, soup, Soups and Stews, Sour cream, Truffle oil | Leave a Comment »
Cabin fever reached a high point last night with my disgruntled spouse. He wants to be back in NYC and that’s that. So we decided he should really attempt to go home today by train. He was hesitant to leave me here with a snow bound car and two cats but I’m adamant about not leaving the car here and/or taking it back to NYC and we can’t park it. This is what Day 3 looked like from my vantage point behind the door and in my warm cozy cottage.
Chunks of Snow Piled Up
Look What Drifts the Winds Hath Wrought
We did attempt to get to the train station and without going into the myriad lefts, rights, detours, traffic jams, a side-swipe and numerous stops and starts I’m pleased to report that we are now safely back in the cottage. The adventures of the afternoon included going the wrong way on a one-way street just so we could get back because we never did get to the train station. It’s not safe out there for man or beast. We are hunkered down for a couple more days.
Posted in BY THE WAY, Ha-P 2 B in OG, Smooth or Crunchy | Tagged Garden State Parkway, John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City, Newark Liberty International Airport, snow, Winter storm | 2 Comments »
Blame it on the snow storm (we’ll be using this excuse for at least another week), that’s why this blog is so late. I only received three responses this week (blame it on the holidays) and I am pleased to share them with everyone.
Lucky me, my own Peter Pan – Heide
Happy New Year to the Memoiristas! -Gail
Need a better back up plan – Weez
Christmas at last; warm,cozy memories! – Susan Celtic Lady
It’s the drifts that get you.-Me
I know another holiday is coming up and that means a little more time off sooooo won’t you please put on your Ernest Hemingway caps and with the advent of the New Year, commit to summing up this life we lead in just six words, no more, no less.
Happy New Year!!
Posted in Six Word Memoirs | Tagged Christmas, Ernest Hemingway, Holidays, New Year, Six-Word memoir, Thanksgiving, Winter storm | 3 Comments »
And so the shoveling began. A knock at the door surprised us and it was a young man who offered his services for snow removal. Everybody is a capitalist at heart and his prices were too high for us so we bargained for $20 worth of shoveling – which meant a path from the front porch to the car and single shovel wide clearance along the front sidewalk. It was a good deal for both of us, the snow was very powdery.
I got dressed and went out to tackle the car. After about 5 minutes I realized shoveling out the car was a task beyond me, the drifts almost covered the car and there was no place to throw the snow since there were drifts all around the car too.
AND behind me was the MONSTER snow drift leading to the back door – it was now or never…. all the time I’m thinking of my heart because Peter reminded me that I’m taking Lipator for a reason, Geez!!
Working His Way Thru the Drift
Finally the Back Door!
One Small Paw Print for Catkind
Thinking About Taking the Next Step
These photos were taken about noon today. Now it’s almost 3:30pm and once again the wind is howling, predicted to reach 50 mph. Soon all our work will be covered with snow again.😦
Posted in BY THE WAY, Ha-P 2 B in OG | Tagged National Weather Service, New York City, Nick, Nora, Ocean Grove, snow, Snow removal, Snowdrift | Leave a Comment »
Last night I listened to the wind howling and Peter complaining about the wind, the snow and life in general lol! The lamp on the porch was swinging precariously and it was too cold and too windy to go out and turn it off and besides our real concern was that it fall over and break and live electricity hit wet snow so we just unplugged it. And the wind howled some more. By the time I went to bed I could see a huge drift forming along the sidewalk on the side of the house and another sweeping upwards to the shed. I thought I would open the back door and take a photo BUT the door would not open-totally blocked with snow drifts. Comforting thought as I went to bed knowing that in case of emergency we couldn’t get out the back door. Actually the front door was blocked too but with repeated pushing, we could get it open and thank God, we had the presence of mind to put the snow shovels on the front porch. AND thank me that I insisted we put the salt in the house and not outside like someone else wanted to.
This is what we woke up to this Monday morning:
Monday Front Porch Drifts 9:30am
Monday Drifts Blocking the Shed
Monday Backyard Bird Feeder 9:30am
Monday morning 9:30am
Let the shoveling begin!!!
Posted in Ha-P 2 B in OG | Tagged blizzard, Brooklyn, La Vie en Rose, New Jersey, New York City, Ocean Grove, Porch, snow, Wind | 1 Comment »
Previously I tried to capture some of my Christmas decor in the cottage, but I don’t think the photos did justice to the look. Murray was here for Christmas dinner and he snapped a few “arty” pictures and I love them, so I’m sharing them!!
Bah Humbug
photo by Murray Head
The Prince of Egypt's Camel
photo by Murray Head
Jacques!
photo by Murray Head
Vintage Christmas Ornaments
Reindeer At The Ready
Posted in BY THE WAY, Friends, Ha-P 2 B in OG | Tagged Christmas, Christmas dinner, Decorations, Holidays, Murray Head, Photograph, The Prince of Egypt | 3 Comments »
If you had to be marooned by a storm, this would be the place I’d like to be. I’m happy in my little cottage sitting out the blizzard. Not so with my spouse! He is definitely an apartment dweller and feels vulnerable here. Well he is partially true; if the power goes out, he really has nowhere to go, eventually the house would get cold, not even sure I would be able to cook on the gas stove whereas in NYC rarely is everyone out at the same time and restaurants have generators. Oh dear what is he to do?
I’m drinking the last of the eggnog and picking on hors d’oeuvres while he is fretting. I say go with the flow; we’re inside, the heat is on, there is food and lots of movies to watch. The lazy cats have been tucked in their beds all afternoon – of course their beds are near the radiator.
It started to snow about 10am and it quickly went from flurries to flakes to heavy snowfall. Around 12:30 I took a few photos of the front porch and the backyard where the bird feeder hangs;
Backyard Bird Feeder 12:30pm
Front Porch 2:30pm
Boxing Day Backyard 2:30pm
Front Porch 4:00pm
Backyard Birdfeeder 4:00pm
Front Porch 5:00pm
Backyard 5:30pm
Back Porch 5:30pm
Posted in BY THE WAY, Ha-P 2 B in OG, Smooth or Crunchy | Tagged Christmas, National Weather Service, New York City, snow | 8 Comments »
When you were opening up your presents or stuffing the turkey or setting the table for Christmas dinner, the birds of the beach were very busy celebrating in their own way. Luckily for us, Murray went straight to the shore line when he arrived from NYC for Christmas dinner in Ocean Grove.
Wings in Water
photo by Murray Head
Two Black Brants
Photo by Murray Head
Putting on the Brakes!
photo by Murray Head
Take Off
photo by Murray Head
Wide Wing Span
photo by Murray Head
Not Quite A Three Point Landing
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Christmas, Goose, Jersey Shore, Murray Head, Ocean Grove, Photograph, sea gulls | 3 Comments »
Welcome to my house! That’s what the luminaries are supposed to convey to the world. In true Roman Catholic tradition these luminarias were lit along the pathway to a home in hopes that the lights would guide the spirit of the Christ Child to one’s home. Tonight we welcomed our friends into our home to share the spirit of Christmas with us and what a fine time we had. We ate a lot, drank a lot of champagne, and laughed a lot.
Welcome!!
Posted in BY THE WAY, Friends, Ha-P 2 B in OG | Tagged Candle, Christmas, Christmas and holiday season, Luminaria | Leave a Comment »
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