Morning light.
Ladybug, ladybug.
Fresh dough rising.
Lazy day
Friday breakfast on the grill
Earlier this week, I made homemade Ricotta in preparation for a try at a pastry on the grill. I saw Cowgirl Chef’s Apricot Croustade with Basil Ricotta Crème recipe and after some reading about croustade and galette…went with my current dough, the basil ricotta creme and sweet cherries.
After much experimentation, I have found that baking on the grill works best if I get the grill hot, but not the stone. This goes against almost everything I’ve read except for a contradictory blurb in my stone instructions. Contradictory in that even the stone instructions mostly say to heat the stone in the oven except for the noted blurb that I happened across in the same instructions that said otherwise. Anyway, on the grill, it is working best to prep all on the cold stone and put the cold stone on the hot (500) grill.
This morning, my little pastry and some dough for a pita bread were on the stone.
Close the lid and let them bake…
Meanwhile, Bear had words with a squirrel…
Pita is done but the pastry needs a bit more. The crust is folded a bit and brushed with an egg wash so it will brown nicely.
Perfection! And yes, it tastes as good as it looks…like the best danish I ever had good!
A huckleberry version is up next :)!
A Thursday
My Wednesday did not go according to plan from the get-go.
One thing that slipped was a trip to town for supplies.
This morning, Thursday morning … in a “kill two birds with one stone” frame of mind, I whistled Bear into Wild Thing for the gathering of supplies, the download of some large files on town’s 4Glte (!!!) and who knew what else.
The morning was beautiful: cool and misty as the sun rose over the mountains and through the woods.
Bear was ALL in for a bit of RV adventure!
We stopped on the way for a walk, parked in a shady spot near the grocery for the download and supply gathering…we both had our breakfast “on the road” – and then headed for home to make it just in the nick of time for a late morning work/meeting session.
Later…
Thursday, is CSA garden day.
Yesterday, I got to thinking about it being August… and we’ve had some heat and sun and …WOW, the garden might start spewing forth some different things pretty soon!
And it did! The bag felt like 10 pounds: beets (WITH greens!!), ‘taters, peas & carrots, a head of lettuce, parsley, basil, KALE!, some “spring green” mix. I called on neighbors and friends to share.
Last week’s bag was good and I used it all…nothing new to report but I continued to enjoy the shredded carrot salad, the pea pesto (my absolute favorite non-basil pesto), a broccoli salad, chard-spinach-mushroom stir fry…
Next week’s cooking from the garden – it should have some new stuff.
Meanwhile, Thursday evening…Bear did his “it is too hot” version of the perimeter patrol and then found a shady spot to have a treat. I let Bob out and he sprawled near us on the porch. I told them, that their nearness to each other and me – it was the absolute BEST birthday month present they could give.
We all sat together and enjoyed. It was 85 but not unpleasant in the shade with a soft breeze and my good boys. Actually, it was heaven to me.
Bear ultimately decided the cool of the house had appeal. I got the camera and tripod to capture a moment with Bob…who has apparently forgiven my passe taste for white wine…well, I am the one who dispenses the food, allows access to the bed, puts fleece cat blankies hither and yon…
A Thursday.
Belly up to the bar…with Bob
Bob takes his drink straight up…right from the well…None of this sissified ice and mint leaves stuff…
So, I “girled-up” and poured my white wine straight…
“Oh, brother…I’m not with her…”
…but this bed is rather nice…
On the front porch for cocktail hour.
If I don’t look at her maybe no one will think we’re together…
Montana unplugged: through the eyes and lens of Tina Oliphant
Shortly after Bear took his 2 day walk about last December, an unknown car pulled into my driveway and up to my house.
Tina has beardogs and through the grapevine and some mutual acquaintances, she’d heard about Bear and came to inquire if he’d been found.
Since that meeting we have shared some time together, exchanged stories, she is helping me help Bear to be comfortable around other dogs and she has been a willing test-taster of some of my new recipes :)!
Over the 4th of July holiday, Tina (and Arcturus) guided a friend and his two grandsons on a 4 day backpacking trip on the Eastern front of the Continental Divide. They hiked in about 6 miles and made a base camp from which they did day hikes and exploring of the area. The boys live in Boston and were in Montana with their family visiting their grandfather. Tina put together the slideshow below as a memorial of that trip. AND, she did it on the Sunday afternoon after they returned from the trip so that the boys could watch with their grandfather while they were still in Montana. I happen to think it is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in some time.
If you can, watch this on a good big screen monitor with excellent speakers.
The music is Adiemus, the first track from the album Songs of Sanctuary, composed by Karl Jenkins.