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gwyneira
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Recipe: broccoli slaw

Source: I based it on this recipe, which is in turn based on this one. Since I tweaked it quite a bit, I've rewritten it and posted it below the cut.

broccoli slaw )

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gwyneira
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Three favorite roses (right now; might be different next week):
- Graham Thomas
- Gertrude Jekyll
- Maiden's Blush

Three minor miracles:
- the evergreen clematis I planted last year died, but the clematis I'd previously had planted there and accidentally pulled up came back from the roots and is clambering up the gazebo
- the Quatre Saisons rose G. accidentally stepped on came back and has one bloom
- the apricot tree came back from what appeared to be the brink of death and sprouted lots of new twigs and leaves

Three problem areas I need to work on:
- the back bed where the grass is encroaching into the border
- under the snowdrop tree, which is really hard to weed
- the whole area by the driveway and the workshop

Three herbs I harvested and dried this week: oregano, Greek oregano, catnip

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gwyneira
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ciabatta
Originally uploaded by gwyneira
Recipe: ciabatta

Source: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion

Notes: I baked the two loaves separately (I have a tiny oven). I didn't think the first one rose high enough on the sheet pan it was on, so I slid the second one on to my pizza peel and then on to the hot baking stone I keep in the oven. I thought the second loaf came out a little puffier, so clearly I'll be doing that again next time.

Outcome: It tastes pretty good, but the loaves didn't rise as high as I would have liked, and so the crumb is too dense. Next time, I will try Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe, which I should have thought to do this time. The King Arthur book is good for cookies and such, but their bread recipes leave something to be desired as far as description and analysis. Beranbaum's recipe (in The Bread Bible) is much more specific about how wet the dough should be and how high it should rise at each stage.

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gwyneira
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Recipe: sourdough cornbread

Source: Adventures in Sourdough Cooking and Baking

method )

notes )

Outcome: We really liked the flavor, but even though I baked it for longer than the recipe specified and tested it with a cake tester, it came out very dense and not quite cooked in the middle. I could try making it into muffins, which might bake through more easily before getting too brown on top. Some experimentation is clearly in order, or a different recipe. Anyone happen to have one? I only have one other sourdough book (Nancy Silverton), and it doesn't have cornbread.

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gwyneira
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Recipe: grilled steak salad with pineapple-ginger dressing

Source: Fine Cooking, vol. 99 (currently available on their web site)

method )

notes )

Outcome: This was easy and delicious. I made a partial recipe and ended up with a little too much dressing, I think, but I can play with that next time.

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gwyneira
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I have a bunch of movies sitting around on the PVR, and I can't decide which to watch first. (Maybe tonight, depending on when G. goes to bed, or maybe next week sometime.) So I come to you, my flist, for assistance!

Poll #1417794 Help me choose a movie!
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Which movie(s) should I watch first?

View Answers

Bright Young Things
2 (28.6%)

Double Indemnity
2 (28.6%)

Mrs. Miniver
3 (42.9%)

Only Angels Have Wings
0 (0.0%)

You Can't Take It With You
1 (14.3%)

The Greatest Tickybox on Earth
4 (57.1%)



Feel free to explicate in comments. :)

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gwyneira
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I find it hard to believe that anyone who wants a Dreamwidth invite code doesn't already have one, but I do still have a couple lying around if anyone does want one.

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It's three days into summer vacation, and I think the boy and I are settling into a routine.

His teachers recommended that the kids do some schoolwork over the summer, and while I don't think he needs to from a skills perspective, I do think staying in the habit of it is a good idea. They sent home some math workbooks that the class hadn't quite managed to finish, and I bought another workbook they recommended as a bridge from first to second grade. It's on the easy side for him, and I foresee some skipping through it, but combined with the math workbooks, it ought to keep him busy and probably improve some skills, at least. We're also keeping a reading log (required to hand in next fall) and doing a little bit of Spanish, though I may have to look for more materials for that.

I decided that in order to motivate Liam to do the work, as well as his guitar practice and music theory lessons, I would have him earn some of his screen time (TV, Nintendo, computer) by completing certain activities each weekday. This seems to be working well and is keeping him from demanding more screen time than I'm willing to give him.

Wow, that sounds way more intense than it really is. Honestly, it works out to an hour or so a day doing schoolwork or practice or reading (for the reading log; he actually reads quite a bit more than that), and he still has lots of time for playing and other stuff.

What I haven't quite achieved yet is enough quiet time for myself, but that will be less of an issue after next week, when the various classes and camps and mini-vacations for Liam start. At least we aren't having to get up at 7am, so I can stay up later to read, which is something.

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Recipe: grilled ginger-sesame pork chops with pineapple and scallions

Source: Fine Cooking, vol. 94 (currently available on their web site)

method )

notes )

Outcome: The marinade was good on the pineapple, but practically undetectable on the chops; we ended up breaking out the chutney to add flavor. I won't bother making this again.

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Recipe: Fusilli with Green Beans, Pancetta, and Parmigiano (which is currently available on the Fine Cooking site)

Source: Fine Cooking, Vol. 99

method )

notes )

Outcome: I liked this a lot and would definitely make it again. It was a little scant for three servings, so I might increase it a bit next time if I'm trying to provide a lunch for G. for the next day. It was really easy, which was nice; I don't think it took more than 30 minutes, including the prep.

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Recipe: Hunan chicken with nuts

Source: Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking

method )

notes )

Outcome: We both liked the sauce, though I was happy that I used less chili garlic sauce than the recipe called for. (I usually have to use less; either the sambal I buy is spicier than the norm, or we’re wimps.) I wish I’d remembered Sichuan peppercorns, because I couldn’t really taste the white pepper; I will remember that for next time, since I’ll definitely be making this again.

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gwyneira
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Recipe: quick turkey burgers

Source: Cook's Illustrated, The New Best Recipe

method )

notes )

Outcome: These cooked up well, remaining fairly juicy, but they were on the bland side. Clearly if I try them again, I'll need to figure out more interesting flavorings. Ideas? Teriyaki, barbecue sauce, chutney?

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First, does anyone local want to go see GreenStage's production of King John this summer? ([info]faithhopetricks, probably, yes?) Liam will be off with my parents over the second weekend in July (the 10th-12th), so I'm thinking either the Friday evening or Sunday afternoon performances in Volunteer Park that weekend.

Second, I saw the Shakespeare meme floating around and couldn't remember if I'd ever even done it -- certainly I haven't recently.

so here goes )

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I have:

- made the car cakes and successfully gotten them out of their pan
- assembled the frosting and candy for the kids to decorate the cakes with
- put together the goody bags
- found a couple of fun-sounding outdoor games to play
- removed cat hair from the couches and chairs
- dusted
- gardened for an hour (not necessary for party prep, but useful as a distraction)
- showered and washed my hair
- sent G. to collect another car seat from my parents upon finding out that we're giving two other kids a ride from school (rather than just one plus Liam)

I still have to:

- clean the kitchen
- change the catbox
- sweep
- vacuum
- dry my hair
- put up the decorations
- make a last minute store run
- get to school early enough to pay next month's tuition before picking up the kids

*deep breath*

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200805_blanc_double
Originally uploaded by gwyneira
I was just out in the garden watering, and I noticed that Blanc Double de Coubert is flowering, the first of the roses this year. When I looked at my notes for last year, I saw that it was first last year, too (along with Peach Blossom), and started on the same day. It feels a little late to me, but at least I have roses in May!

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I wanted to get to this before I left, but of course that didn't work, so none of these are what I would call exceptionally fresh in my mind any more, thus the (mostly) short takes.

short takes: Brennert, Gaffney, Struther, Wharton, Godden, Kirstein )

also read )

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Recipe: spicy sour cream raisin muffins

Source: Muffins, by Elizabeth Alston

method )

notes )

Outcome: I wouldn't make these again. Liam liked them, but I didn't, and G. didn't find them appealing enough even to try.

As I've noted with previous attempts to make muffins with oats in them, the oats make the muffin chewy instead of tender, and I feel that muffins should be tender. If I wanted chewy, I'd make oatmeal raisin cookies instead.

Also, I found it vastly annoying that they stuck horribly to the paper muffin cups I normally use. If the recipe had warned me about this, I'd've greased the pan and eschewed the muffin cups.

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gwyneira
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Recipe: lasagna carnivale with chicken meatballs

Source: Cook's Illustrated, The Best Chicken Recipes

method )

notes )

Outcome: I don't think I'd make this again. It combines the labor-intensive qualities of spaghetti & meatballs and lasagna, but I'd just as soon have the regular versions of either. On the other hand, Cook's specifies that this is a streamlined version of a more complicated traditional Neapolitan recipe; if I ran across a more complex version, I might try that.

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gwyneira
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OMG, weeds! Not that this is a big surprise, given how long we were gone, right during the first flush of spring growth. I weeded quite a bit of the front bed today; the priority is to weed around the roses enough to fertilize them without all the fertilizer going right to the weeds.

Note to self: do not plant creeping jenny near roses again. I did the reverse, actually, planting roses in among existing creeping jenny. The problem is that as soon as I started to water the roses regularly, the creeping jenny took off and now has to be extracted from around the roses constantly. It's so pretty when it blooms that I can't stand just to yank all of it out, though.

The pea and strawberry starts I planted right before we left are doing well, and the lilies and ranunculus are coming up. The apricot tree, however, apparently has the plague; I need to clip off a twig and take it in to the nursery this weekend.

In bloom: evergreen clematis by the deck (see picture), pink dogwood, a few rhodies, the crabapple, various volunteer forget-me-nots and violets, creeping phlox, Clementine columbine, strawberries, lilac

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Has anyone read any of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs books? My mother keeps recommending them to me, but my tastes and hers do not always coincide. The main character sounds awfully Mary Sue-ish to me, for one thing. Thoughts?

Currently reading: Mildred D. Taylor, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; Anthony Trollope, The Claverings

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bookspoils )

I'll be finished with A Wreath for the Enemy soon and will probably read Nina Kiriki Hoffman's Fall of Light next, since it showed up at the post office while I was gone. I will then start working my way through the new piles, so any comments on what I ought to read next would be appreciated!

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gwyneira
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So much for trip-blogging -- sorry! I'll try to post bits of my travel journal, though, and pictures when I get them uploaded. I hope everyone got their postcards safely! ([info]kicking_k, I totally forgot to send you one, but not to worry, I've raided the postcards I brought back for my scrapbook and will send you one of those from here instead!)

Some highlights of the trip:
- delicious tapas and bookshopping with [info]oursin (which resulted in my buying 18 books, a third of my total for the trip)
- spending at least two hours peeking into every possible nook and cranny of HMS Victory in Portsmouth
- the lilacs at Kew, and lots of other beautiful and interesting plants
- revisiting familiar faces at the National Portrait Gallery
- the small but excellent collection of Impressionists and Post-Impressionists at the Courtauld Gallery
- Trevor Nunn's exquisite production of "A Little Night Music" at the Garrick
- the fascinating Secret War exhibit at the Imperial War Museum, with lots of neat MI5, MI6, and SOE-related things
- spending two weeks with G., my favoritest traveling companion: our interests overlap nicely, and we're good at putting up with each other's lectures (mine on gardens and British history, his on arms and armour and ships)

Some highlights of coming home:
- anticipating picking up Liam from school this afternoon
- cat happiness (though I think this is going to pall soon)
- our own bed
- our own shower and water pressure
- not having missed the wild dogwoods and rhododendrons blooming (the rhodies haven't even started yet)

And I still have a big box of books to catalog. (I'll likely post bookspoils at some point, if people are interested.)

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gwyneira
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We're here! We're annoyed with AT&T for telling us the iPhone would work over here but not actually setting it up so that it would, but at least we're here, in a little, surprisingly quiet flat off King's Road.

I have already bought three books! I have no idea how I'm going to keep the total under twenty at this rate.

We are mostly just trying to stay awake for another couple of hours (having not slept a wink on the plane) right now. We just got back from a walk down to the Embankment and then to the Chelsea Physic Garden, which was lovely overall and especially lovely because they have both white and yellow Lady Banks roses in bloom, huge ones, a sight I have long wanted to see. (G. was very patient with my rose geekitude.)

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gwyneira
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Since we liked Nancy Silverton's sourdough waffles so much, I thought we'd try her pancakes, too.

Usually, I make blueberry sourdough pancakes from a sourdough cookbook we've had for ages. They're nice and sour, but a little on the chewy side. Silverton's pancake batter, on the other hand, is quite a bit thinner and produces very light, crisp, thin pancakes, which we all liked a lot.

I wish we'd remembered to make the starter earlier; it only had eight hours to develop, so the sour flavor was less pronounced than G. and I would have liked. Next time, we'll make it earlier and see how it goes.

I don't think I could add blueberries to these, unless I used small wild blueberries or huckleberries, because the blueberries would be thicker than the pancakes are. So I guess we now have two standard sourdough pancake recipes, which seems like not a bad thing.

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I found this in an issue of Fine Cooking a couple of years back and make it a lot, because it's very easy and very tasty. I've changed the ingredients and modified the instructions; here's my version.

golden turkey, corn, and orzo soup )

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gwyneira
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Last week, I planned to make split pea soup for G., but I forgot to buy ham hocks.

This week, I bought ham hocks and planned again to make split pea soup.

Just now, I realized I'd forgotten to buy potatoes.

Apparently my subconscious just doesn't want to make split pea soup.

I guess I'm going to the grocery store again (and had better triple-check my recipe.)

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These are from an issue of Fine Cooking. Alas, they weren't as good as I'd hoped.

They were a little time-consuming to make, but not really difficult. The brownie layer went together first and baked for a while (quite a bit longer than the recipe said, actually) while I made the caramel for the topping. When the brownies were out and a little cooled, I poured the caramel over them and then cooled that for a while. Once the caramel had set, I drizzled melted chocolate (with a little cream mixed in) over them and scattered more pecans on top.

They looked lovely, and I thought the topping was very good. Unfortunately, the brownies were just boring; I don't know why so many brownie recipes are substandard, but this is another one that just isn't intensely chocolatey enough. Also, I think it needed a little more salt.

The answer, I think, is to use my favorite brownie recipe, from Cook's Illustrated, and top it with the Fine Cooking caramel and chocolate. Actually, come to think of it, I vaguely recall that Cook's had a caramel pecan brownie recipe (I think they called them turtle brownies) a while back, too, which I imagine uses their standard brownie recipe as a base. I should find that and try it.

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gwyneira
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Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson (I've seen this several places and don't know the exact source in Emerson's writings)

I have a tendency (all right, more than a tendency) to dwell on things and feel guilty about everything. I think sometimes one does have to think about what one did yesterday, but not to dwell on it endlessly.

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American art is all very well, but there is such a thing as too many images of George Washington. (Although I was kind of smarmily amused at the couple searching diligently for GW in the painting of the signing of the Declaration.)

Going from 11:30am to 6:15pm without ingesting anything except a Cherry Coke is stupid.

Macy's had no remotely cute tops. So I bought a cute new purse instead. It's not quite as big, but I probably don't need to carry around quite as much stuff anyway. Also, it's messenger style, so I think it will be easier on my back.

I should have gotten lunch on the way to the ferry. Instead, I went into Arundel Books, which I have walked by a zillion times and never entered. In about ten minutes, I found an Elizabeth Bowen novel and three Viragos (Storm Jameson, Sylvia Townsend Warner, George Gissing) I didn't have (and resisted about ten more Viragos). Noting my interest in Viragos, the clerk looked them up in their database and found about forty-five. I said I thought three would be enough, but I might come back some other time.

He also said that he likes Virago because they've reprinted the writer he thinks is the best writer of the 20th century. There was a significant pause while he waited for me to guess; I didn't and asked. "E.M. Delafield!" he said. So I told him about Persephone in case he hadn't read Consequences (though he seems to be judging purely on the basis of the Provincial Lady books, which are the only ones he mentioned). I love E.M. Delafield, truly I do, but calling her the greatest writer of the 20th century might be overstating the case. (Of course, I am also not into making giant overarching statements like that about writers in any case.)

ETA: Augh, sinus infection one week before long airplane journey!

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gwyneira
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Sorry to be Posty McSpammypants today -- partly my brain is trying to get a bunch of stuff done before vacation, and partly I'm still working on how the LJ/DW thing is going to work. (ETA: Huh, it stripped the LJ cuts even though I used the LJ tags.)

By the by, does anyone know if there is or will be a tag limit on DW? I rather want to put author tags to my booklog posts, but I didn't on LJ because of the tag limit.

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled booklog post!

Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl )

Rose Macaulay, The World My Wilderness )

Catherine Carswell, The Camomile )

also read )

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Yellow hellebore
Originally uploaded by gwyneira
I’ve been trying to work in the garden this week, endeavoring (probably futilely) to get caught up before we leave on vacation next Wednesday.

Sunday, we moved the Sally Holmes rose from the spot by the trellis, which appears not to be a good rose spot (Iceberg had a tough time there too), to where Moonlight was. I hated to take Moonlight out, because it had lovely flowers and was enormous, but it got powdery mildew and spread it to the neighbors every year. Sally Holmes ought to grow equally big and will, I hope, not have the mildew issue.

In the course of replanting the rose, we discovered we needed more dirt, and G. cleverly suggested the compost pile. Remember how excited I was last year when we had actual usable lovely compost? This year, not only was there quite a lot of compost, it was absolutely full of little red worms. I don’t know where they came from, but I was excessively pleased to see them.

Then G. and I finished clearing the lower stone bed; there are bulbs planted along the front, but nothing else. I added more bulbs (ranunculus and lilies) and snap pea and strawberry starts. When we get back from vacation, Liam and I will put in some beans, too.

Today, I just did some weeding and some fertilizing. Next, I have to try to give all the roses their first dose of granular fertilizer and alfalfa.

In bloom: the red flowering currant, the deep pink camellia, a couple of hellebores, a few daffodils, vinca everywhere

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Willpower, he saw, was not a thing one could suddenly decree oneself to possess. It must be built up imperceptibly and laboriously out of a succession of small efforts to meet definite objects, out of the facing of daily difficulties instead of cleverly eluding them, or shifting their burden on others.

-- Edith Wharton, The Glimpses of the Moon

I like the idea of willpower as a series of small things, rather than a giant monolith that you either have or you don't. It's rather akin to my recent New Year's habit of looking for trends rather than making resolutions.

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I'm testing crossposting to LJ -- feel free to ignore.

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I got lucky in the OpenID random drawing and just got an invite to set up an account (so no more ridiculous worrying about someone snarfing my username before I can).

I still haven't decided whether I'm going to migrate completely and just cross-post here but will post when I decide.

I think I know all of you who are over there already, but drop me a comment if I missed you, please?

And now I'm off to spend the rest of my afternoon twiddling with things, I expect. (At least until 3pm, when the afternoon round of boy-ferrying begins.)

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Liam had a guitar recital last weekend, and they taped him and put the video on YouTube, so I am of course inflicting it on you. (But behind a cut, so you don't have to be inflicted if you don't want to.)

Liam's first three minutes of Internet fame )

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