Bittersweet and snow.
This time of year we’re saddled with a lot of cold, at least in New Jersey. And by February we’re hurling colorful expletives at the clouds, the snow, the evil godawful groundhog, the weather channel right down to the mail clerk, and Lowe’s for being out of ice scrapers during the first week of February.*
But the dauntless Pollyanna in me is here this week** to grin a freckled, wide-eyed, mildly irritating ‘Bash on, regardless,’ and caption us through her winter so far. Make with the packed pbj and let’s warm up.
I shot the ingredients of the Limoncello I concocted for my Christmas presents. Neat how I got the lemon peel to curl just so, isn’t it? It only took seven tries!
Done deal. Full of lemon peel that’s been steeped in sugar and a bunch of vodka. Served icy cold.
My friend Doug made this awesome awesome shrimp stew that we ate over polenta.
This chicken pot pie got me through theatre tech week, when I drove an hour door to door and braved Route 287 twice every day for a week. Once I got stuck behind a lady doing 40mph in a 65 zone. /Segue/ Mmm. Chicken pot pie with little tiny pearl onions. Mmmmmm.
Champagne flutes in our show. Really convincing plastic, which is good, because they played in a 65-seat house. Filled nightly with chilled ‘Champagne’ (sparkling white grape juice) served out of an ice bucket.
This is kheer, a lovely Indian dessert. It’s served chilled and tastes a lot like rice pudding, but it’s not as thick.
Deep-dish brown sugar pumpkin pie made with a layer of fruit jam at the base.
Hello world.
Two Mile Creek Specialty Foods and Johnnie Walker are the benefactors of that jam. Thanks for the 2 berry cherry!
Cornbread with oodles of butter.
Icy drop on a wild rose branch.
The Champagne bottle I painted for the show. The script calls for Perrier Jouet, and in 1969, the year in which the scene takes place, the company put out a beautiful, iconic floral label. Painting on glass is a trick. You end up feeling like you’re hydroplaning.
The author, with Devil Dog cupcakes (devil’s food cake topped with meringue) that I made for the cast party last night, plus my trusty weapon of destruction. Pollyanna needed to blow off a lil steam. And the meringue toasted up nicely 🙂
*Really, Lowe’s? Really?
**She was off on a choir retreat or something last week. Either way, she was very not here.
I love the seasonality in this, with a light touch! (and now I so want to try kheer.)
Hi Bev–Do hunt it down and try it if you can. So fresh tasting and delicious! Thanks for your message 🙂
Maris..
Food is truly a powerful aspect of our life as your wonderful article and pictures remind us! Not only does it give us energy to take on the day.. But also comforts us as we wait patiently for little old ladies going 40 in a 65…!!
LOL truer words were never spoken. And thanks again for the jam; it was great with the pie!
Ah, my dose of Eve’s Apple. I’m still trying to get my blog to work again, or to start a new one, but so far not much is happening there. That all looks so good to someone who can’t even lift a pot of water to the stove right now. I’m not giving up on it because I have too much left to say — or, as my mom would say, I have a big mouth and can’t keep it closed very long. Eventually I’ll get it going again, because I’m too stubborn to give up. My therapists will tell you that. Still trying to make a sock. Third attempt now, but stubbornness and determination will win out. Probably will have to wait until shoulder is healed a bit more and I can work the needles easier.
Angie–Hoping it works. We all like your big mouth 🙂 sending good vibes!