Simple Fare

Gainesville

Hot weather, so just a nice simple soup and salad combo would be perfect. Right-- provided you don't make the Soup from Heck and the Salad from Hell-- six hours worth of prep (can't really call it cooking). Actually, I don't mind spending a long time fixing food, as long as I actually have enough time-- I hate feeling rushed. And today I DID start early enough that I got it all done, and the kitchen cleaned up as I went, so that when it was time to eat, I just put it on. I even had time to open a bottle of wine and give our beautiful wine glasses from Sandy their inaugural voyage. (Let the record show it was a Rosemont Cab, from Australia.) The glasses are truly magical. Thanks again!

The White Gazpach was wonderful as always, although I forgot that one of the three cukes is supposed to be held back and added with the other chopped stuff-- all three got pureed in this version. The FC Chopped Shrimp Salad was very tasty, although I do not want to dwell on what it's like to cut two cups of grapes in half-- especially when those particular grapes were positively beensy-weensy. Between the two recipes, I'm chopped out. Tomorrow will be reruns.

Didn't get the house Blessed today, what with all the kitchen duty. Changed towels and they are in the washer, waiting for Bills Big Whites to finish drying. The plan is to get both folded and put away before bed. An early morning tomorrow, as he wants to get in early to make sure the move back into the new Library West can begin as scheduled. Much Sturm und Drang there.

Ah yes, quite right-- there was a fiddlin' contest at the end of that record/story-- and our little hero Ody (Opy? Ory? some such name) didn't actually win it, but he got a Special Prize. Or something. As for "Puss and Boots," I can still hear the background music to that one, and I'm often heard spouting strange things like, "'I have brought you, Sire, a rabbit, compliments of my master, the Marquis of Carabass.'" "And the King was much impressed!" I'd forgotten "And he was only an ogre again." Hilarious! Yes, that was Harold Peary, the original Gildersleeve, reading it. What great stories we had on records. Another thing TV killed. I also loved "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins," (only found out it was by Seuss much later) and of course, dear "Gossamer Wump."

Nice job with the flowers, Sandy. Are they real? If so, does that mean you actually planted them all and got them to bloom like that? Next time I'm up there I'd like to visit.

Mom, I'm sorry, but any day when you get your routines done, PLUS that incredible Nordic stuff, hardly counts as a wasted day. I'm very proud of you. Keep up the good work.