Under a Blue Moon

Let’s just forget about the mantel, shall we?

Mantel still isn't cooperating but instead of trying to fix it I've decided to move on and just accept is as it is. I'm going to be redoing it for Christmas in about 45 minutes anyway.

I did put away the Halloween themed decorations in the entry way and redid the library table in there. And would you look at that….

It kind of reminds me of the old mantel.

Maybe with bit more green in the mix.

This is how the mantel stands at the moment:

After staring at it for two weeks now I realized what I want is a mantel mirror. Something kind of like this (I have seen prettier ones).

Ohhhhh – so you’re supposed to know how to paint first?

I started off with such enthusiasm and anticipation on how I was going to just wow you with my beautifully hand painted cookies. When I saw these I just had to try them for myself.

I have had that rolling pin for almost 30 years. And I have had that cookie cutter for about 14 hours. I was hoping for a less petal-y shape but that was the only flower my local kitchen supply store had.

A while back (about five years ago) I lost all my cookie cutters. I had amassed a pretty good collection and they just disappeared. We had moved so I figured they were just packed away some where in a box that got put in the attic but after a year or so I gave up and decided to replace them. So I went to Sur le Table and picked up a dozen and when they rang them up the total was $1,468.47 or something like that.

Pretty pricy for cookies cutters, don't you think? I asked the salesman. Who agreed and lopped $1,452 off the price.

Two days later I found my missing cooking cutters.

I spent all yesterday afternoon baking, cooling, icing, drying and could hardly wait to get up this morning so I could start painting. You paint with food coloring. I bought gel food coloring in eight different colors. Set up my brushes, my water.

And, this shouldn't come as a shock to anyone, certainly not myself – I stink at painting. I always have. Why I thought I would suddenly be blessed with talent this morning I have no idea. I was envisioning cookies that looked like Cath Kidston herself had painted them.

So I have about two dozen unpainted cookies and I've lost my mojo. I think I'll freeze the rest and practice painting designs with watercolors until I have a few that I can decently reproduce on the cookies.

Happy Halloween!

Wired

New food blog (well, new to me anyway….)

I've added a new link to my list of foodie blogs (which is sorely lacking, if you haven't noticed – please send me your favorites) - Once Upon A Plate.

Marisol emailed me a while back, oh I want to say a year or so, because she recognized a park that I had photographed because she grew up around here. We determined that we missed each other by a couple of years but had very similar haunts.

Well she emailed me again yesterday and said that she had started her own blog. And good lord if any of you have already clicked on the link then I've lost you forever. I spent hours pouring over it yesterday. Every time I read a new post, a new recipe I wanted to make it right then and there. Her photos are incredible and her recipes are varied and, well just go see for yourself.

I made two recipes from it last night and they both were big hits – stuffed zucchini (we normally make zucchini boats around here so we dubbed these zucchini dinghies) and her version of Ruth Chris BBQ shrimp.

I also really covet her plates. Actually she has a LOT of plates but the ones I really covet are the Rooster ones above. Available at both Neiman Marcus and Horchow (Horchow has a better price on them). Go look for her recipe for chicken pot pies and you'll see why.

Since I am suddenly enamored with all things chicken I also want this rooster egg holder (with the adorable little chicken salt shaker). Is that not the cutest thing? I can see my hardboiled eggs sitting prettily in it.

And finally – I want this milk glass covered chicken. I'm going to have to haunt the on-line auctions if I want to find one though.

Rosie

The Wine Maker's Wife

Of all weeks to leave my camera at home. Evan and I went up to the Cottage yesterday afternoon to see the chicks and the bees.

Rosie is front and center in the picture I swiped from Sara – it looks like she is having a conversation with Bella (who may have been renamed as soon as we left). Right behind Rosie is Giada and in the way back is Georgina.

They are so unbelievably soft. I held Rosie for a minute and she just blinked at me and then decided to fly away so I put her back. It was hard not to put her in my pocket and just leave.

The bees aren't so soft and cuddly but they are fascinating. The hive is up behind the cottage and as we walked closer to the hive (staying a safe 15-20 feet back) you can see the activity. I must say that it would take nerves of steel to approach any closer, even wearing a bee suit. Instinct tells you to get the heck out of there. Sara says one never approaches the front of the hive – you want to come around from the back. And of course we were all dressed in black which just annoys the heck out them and they want to express their sartorial opinion by stinging you.

I took a few additional pictures of the chicks with my cellphone and if I can figure out how to download them I'll post them.

Chickens!

Amazon

I have a chicken. Or, actually, I have a chick. A little Rhode Island Red named Rosie. Rosie doesn't live with me. She is being boarded at the Cottage with three other chicks. You can see a little YouTube video of them and see her sweet little self.

I have wanted chickens for years now. Rick and I used to take a walk through our Los Altos neighborhood and there was one house that always had a few fat chickens peacefully roaming around the front yard. Nothing fenced them in and nothing appeared to bother them. They just happily spent their day picking at bugs in their pretty front yard.

Then a friend of mine was telling me about her childhood pet, a Rhode Island Red with the unfortunate moniker of Lunch. Lunch was an only chick and she dearly loved her people. She would come running as soon as any of them came into the yard and wanted to be held and petted.

She never did live up to her name, I am happy to report.

Doing a little research I've read that Rhode Island Reds are a friendly type of chicken. So when Sara said I could keep a chick at her house I knew that was the type I wanted.

I haven't seen Rosie yet but I am going to go this afternoon and nuzzle her.

Rick and I have been thinking about turning the Goat Palace into a Palais de Poulet. It would require getting rid of Josephine, William, Antoinette and poor little Delilah. When we got them we figured we would have little worker goats that would keep our property clear of brush. The only problem is they are total homebodies and will not leave their little corner of the property.

We shouldn't have made the Goat Palace so comfy. They flat out refuse to go anywhere else and they have totally denuded that one corner so we have to supplement their diet with grain and alfalfa. Which kind of defeats the purpose of having them.

We may have found someone that will take them. A couple that has ten acres, other goats, a couple of llamas and a horse. I would only feel right about getting rid of them if they were going to a better situation. One does have an obligation to ones animals, after all.

So if they do go then we'll put some nesting boxes in the Palace and put a door on it and get a half a dozen chickens. We'll eat as many eggs as we want and I have a friend that goes through 12 dozen eggs a week and I told her she could have the rest.

Or I could set up a little roadside stand and sell them.

Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration, 1940

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