Life Lately

which is mostly recipe links

I am in summer-eating mode, which means lots of herbs in everything, given that our entire side garden is basically just an unkempt patch of mint.

Like this salad! Which I just made for lunch this very day, but I used freshly cooked quinoa instead of brown rice (quinoa cooking directions here) and I used mint and parsley and plums, and added crushed garlic to the dressing and some sliced pepperoncini, of course. Feta. Fried almonds. Oh, and sauteed zucchini instead of diced cukes, because the zukes were the thing I was trying to use in the first place. It was delicious. Or, I should say, is delicious because we will be eating it for years.

Or this salad, which I talk about here. I’ve been added the packaged fried shallots from Trader Joe’s, and they’re perfect. Be aware that this salad takes longer to make than you will first imagine, but it’s a total show-stopper.

I’ve made some other things that were good too, and easy and summery. The coleslaw I talk about here (I grate wedges of cabbage in the food processor and it takes 11 seconds). These shockingly good pickled shrimp, which I brought to a 4th of July gathering where we played the incredible fun game Crokinole, which we have been playing all summer, despite that fact that we don’t own it ourselves. But other people do! Who knew?

These eggs were more fudgy than jammy, but still very very good.

Oh, also, I’ve made these soy-pickled eggs twice in quick succession. They’re great to round out a meal that you know secretly isn’t really a meal (e.g. a Strawberry Shortcake ice-cream bar) or to add to a plate of other delicious things. And these straight-up pickles. I realize there’s a theme here, and the theme is vinegar.

Otherwise, we are watching a lot of sports, and I am not a natural sports fan. I feel so much grief for the players who lose. I feel so much anxiety for the players that biff something. I hate Trump, FIFA, the colonial empires that still function somehow. And still! Still I kind of love it. Mostly all the hugging and the feelings and the drama. So many incredible black and brown athletes from all over the world! And also people’s muscled bodies and joy.

That’s kind of it?

Not really. Michael and I had the opportunity of a lifetime to go rafting in the Grand Canyon with a lot of people, and it was so special and magical that I’m not even ready to talk about it yet. Except to say that I brushed up very close to many of my fears—falling, drowning, snakes, bats, scorpions, sand, being away from home, lightning, small planes, other people, my own thighs—and I screamed a lot and laughed the whole time and occasionally cried, and was fine. More than fine. I loved it! And many people made it possible for me to go, in terms of my obligations here at home, and what a gift that was—the encouraging generosity of my children in particular. Plus, nobody on my trip got norovirus! Maybe more on all of that another time.

Meanwhile, I’m back on my bullshit: writing and watercoloring and watermelon and old people. Did you read Whistler yet? Just go ahead and read it. It’s a perfect novel.

Sending so much love to you, my lovelies. If this is a hard summer for you in whatever way, I am with you.

xo