This past Saturday Ron would talk about a book for a while and then I would ask about another book. This happened twice. Both times it turns out that the book I asked about is next to the one he was talking about in our bookshelves.
I guess I have finally organized our library in my head. (And to think it was after 15 years of marriage that I finally merged our SFF books.)
I was reading a book by Tawny Weber and the main character had the same first and and a similar last name as a character in another series. Then I realized both have the same name for ex-boyfriends too. Then I remembered that each of them fell in love with a Seal.
…Apparently Harlequin does some weird thing where they give you the name of a character and a situation and you write the novel and they publish it, even when another of their novels has the same character.
Now the two Edens are nothing alike, but still I think it’s weird. It’s weird enough when I know it’s going to happen–like when they publish the three books that won the start contest. But this was just odd.
I’ve been writing a lot of poetry this month–inspired by Barbara Rollins’ Facebook publications of NaHaiWriMo poetry.
Some are haiku.
Some are quick, rhythm based songs.
Some are alliterative artistry.
Some are hints, unfermented in the casks of my mind.
Many of them are very good, but except for “Tumbleweed Wrangler” I have no idea where I would send any of them.
At 3:45 (just after letting my 2 pm class go) I decided to walk to the Campus Center to buy colored pencils for class. I arrived at class at 3:58. The students were sitting there waiting for me.
Class started at 3:30. I did not realize that until about 15 minutes ago.
I need to set alarms on my phone.
For Supper Club, the theme was Eastern European. When looking for recipes, I found one for Ukrainian (well, that’s what the main division said) cauliflower that sounded excellent. It’s a fairly simple receipt, though the times they gave were off.
This baked Ukrainian cauliflower recipe is similar to scalloped cauliflower and cauliflower au gratin because it is made with a cheesy cream sauce. If you want to gussy up the presentation of cauliflower for a special dinner, this is the way to do it.
Sometimes, I substitute finely chopped nuts for the bread crumbs for an interesting twist. Here’s a larger photo of baked cauliflower.
Makes 6 servings of Hungarian Baked Cauliflowr
Prep Time: 20 minutes (No, about 40.)
Cook Time: 30 minutes (No, about 50.)
Total Time: 50 minutes (1 hour and 20 minutes)
Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower, washed, trimmed and broken into flowerets (a mix of sizes are fine)
1/2 cup crisp bacon pieces or chopped ham (or both?)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons grated cheese of choice (used Havarti)
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs or finely chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans
1 tablespoon melted butter
Cream Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold beef or chicken stock
1/2 cup cold half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
Preparation:
Cook cauliflower, uncovered, in boiling, salted water for 8 minutes or until barely tender. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add bacon or ham and set aside.
To make the cream sauce: In a small saucepan, make a roux by melting butter and flour and cooking 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cold stock and cold cream and, with a wire whisk, stir constantly until sauce boils. Cook over low 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix 1/2 cup cheese into hot cream sauce.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a medium shallow casserole or gratin pan. Mix cheese sauce with cooked cauliflower and bacon or ham. Transfer to prepared baking pan.
Mix bread crumbs or nuts with melted butter and 2 tablespoons cheese. Sprinkle over cauliflower. Set casserole dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake about 20 minutes or until golden and cauliflower is cooked.
I really liked the recipe. I think it was pretty good. Ron said it was good, too, but that could have been “good for cauliflower.”
The original website was about.com.
I needed an Eastern European recipe for supper club.
Looks good:
http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/vegetables/r/baked-cauliflower.htm
For several years, I kept a blessings list where I wrote down each day something I was grateful for.
I still wish I had done it every day.
Today (just past the first day of the new year), I saw a video on the 365Grateful campaign from the woman who started it all.
She took a photo each day of something she was grateful for and wrote down why she was grateful for it.
Thankfully I already took photographs yesterday, so I can start with those.
I am thankful for my nieces–who love me with open arms and hearts, who spend time with me willingly, who help me in my poetry projects, who look at my photography/book projects, and who want me to cheer them on in their lives, too.
You protect what you fall in love with.
A ten-minute video from Louie Schwartzberg who has created time lapse photography for 24/7 for the last 30 years.
“Happiness Revealed” from 3:45.
Imagination…you want to go deeper in.
Today is the one day that is given to you. It’s given to you. It’s a gift. It’s the only gift that you have right now. And the only appropriate response is gratefulness. … Cultivate that response. Learn to respond as if it were the first and last day… Then you will have spent this day very well.
Begin by opening your eyes and be surprised that you have eyes you can open.
Array of colors for pure enjoyment.
Look at the sky. Note how different it is from moment to moment.
Everyone’s face tells a story. Not only their own story, but the story of their ancestors.
… It flows together and meets you here.
Open your heart to the incredible gifts that civilization gives to us. Electric light. Cold water, warm water, drinkable water.
Enormous number of gifts to which we can open our heart. Open your heart to these blessings and let them flow you, so that everyone you meet this day will be blessed by you… just by your presence. Let the gratefulness overflow into blessing all around you.
Then it will really be a good day.