Blessedly Away from my Kitchen
Dearest, dearest Catherine with the kids, date night with Yancey.
Happy Hour at Lola--squid and pork kabobs. Griddled pita with olive fig tapenade, oregano fries with aioli, dolmades with tzatziki.
Dilly-dallying at Pike Place while vendors packed up, walking around just enough to work up an appetite for gelato. Chocolate and caramel, ferociously "split."
Romantic comedy at the theater with a not-so-fairy-tale ending.
There are wars in the world. The Amazon is being de-forested, and I don't think clean coal technology is going to save us. The financial markets are woefully unregulated and families are going bankrupt to pay medical bills. There are teachers striking, kids sleeping in alleys, and plenty of reality to go around. But tonight, I've got this little fairy-tale-ending, knees touching under the table, and more recipes and reality soon enough.
P.S. Alright. For those of you here for the prose, I made this blueberry lemon buckle for Recovery Cafe--soaked with lemon syrup that crisped up to a sour, sticky crunch. A stocked pantry saves the day--wake up in the morning, have an hour to make two cakes, scrounge for lemons, blueberries from the freezer, and have absolute confidence there's buttermilk in my fridge. Of course there was.
P.S.S. What wonderful comments you've been leaving lately! I haven't had time to respond to many of them, but I am reading them, and they inevitably make my day. Whatever details of my life and kitchen I happen to record, I know they're not half as interesting as the lives you are all leading. I'm just the one that happens to be writing about it.
September 15, 2009
Reader Comments (23)
What a lucky girl you are to have had such a lovely date :)
Now, how does a gal who doesn't live on the west coast go about re-creating those fries?!?
Love this post. I think I say that everytime. But, I'm serious every time. I enjoy listening to you being thankful for your life, your husband, date night, Catherine, and a full stocked pantry. That's reality too.
Food:
I brought the blueberry cupcakes (jg: what's the difference between a cake and a muffin? nothin') to work today and they were gone in a flash. So good.
Beautiful photo with the lemon syrup in the pitcher.
beautifully thankful. i'm thankful for that day last week to see you and those divinely delicious chocolate cookies. you are in my thoughts daily. xoxo
Ok seriously, how the heck do you have time in the morning to bake two cakes? The Lazy-ist in me just said "ew".
Wait, Seattle residents actually hang out by the Space Needle? My whole concept of big city urban living is being blasted away. NYC people don't visit the Statue of Liberty, LA people don't live by the Hollywood sign - but Seattle people actually participate in the "tourist" areas? It's a refreshing thought.
You're the best! Sharing all the joy in your life....what you love about date-night, loving my son, passionate about life, all the delicious details of every food that enters your sphere(i will be going to Lola soon)...sqid and pork kabobs, grilled pita with olive fig tapenade, oregano fries with aioli, and dolmades with tzatziki, and of course walking to make room for gelato! Oh...Did I mention how fabulous your photos are...the lemon blueberry buckle is making me salivate all over my computer. I'm missing you already...xoxo
Reading this post reminded me of meeting Zip at the Bellingham Food Co Op . She told me how much she enjoys reading this blog, and then looked me straight in the eye and said "I want her life". I want her kids, I want her husband, I want her writing skills, I want her cooking skills, I just want everything she has". I was a little bit surprised, being as Zip is such a remarkable individual, who I envy most of the time for all of her own developed talents, and resourcefulness.
She's one of those gals that always looks at a glass half full instead of half empty, and can always find something to celebrate, and be thankful for (except George W Bush). As I thought about it , it made a little more sense, this is a gift that Zip can identify with that you hold out there like a prized trophy , the cup of gratefulness. Be thankful, count your blessings, and always appreciate what we have instead of complain about what you don't have.
Thanks for this honorable lesson, that bleeds through these pages, that we can't help but notice.
I can only speak for myself, but my life is not nearly as interesting as yours. Really. By the way, I bumped into your parents at the Food Co-op, and your mom was agonizing over which buns to buy for the pulled pork sandwiches.
Your cooking and baking skills are inspiring, Sarah, and I love reading your blog. I may even get up from the computer and make your mom's recipe for rhubarb coffee cake. Then I can wake up to coffee cake in the morning!
Sarah is the only local girl I know who ever spends time at Pike's Place Market. Most Seattle-ites don't actually go up the Space Needle, but we do go to the Seattle Center, the surrounding areas. There are great open spaces, groovy shops, theaters, museums and more. It's great for tourists and locals alike.
I love that Zip was probably writing her comment while your mom posted hers. Classic.
HEY! I wager I've spent at least as much time at Pike Place Market as Sarah. I know I haven't had a life for the last 3 years, but have you forgotten? I'm practically RELATED to the Market, remember?
(My little brother:
http://www.thetroubadourshow.com/articles/article/7010495/126434.htm)
Speaking of interesting lives, he may have us all beat. :)
I get to see Sarah (well, when she's in town which hasn't been much lately) only at our less interesting moments. We get together at the park and wish we could actually have a conversation while chasing our children around. It all feels like very ordinary frazzled mom kind of stuff. Not glamorous moments... then we go home and write our blogs, which is how we actually get to find out what's going on with each other!
And I never. ever. cook. My life is complicated like that. Starting next week, my family will be living with pds's family and she'll be doing the cooking. I read the prose and then "recipe blah blah" the end. :) I think it's cool and all, it's just like a foreign language to me. Besides, I don't have time to cook and then I'd just feel depressed.
One could say my life is very interesting. Interesting can be overrated, I could go for being less interesting anytime now.
Ooops, commenting at 1:30 when I should be in bed is always dangerous. ramble ramble ramble. I'm taking a Nyquil and going to bed. My doctor said I could, so THERE.
g'night...
Hope your Nyquil worked wonders. I miss you, and I'm so flattered you read (and interact) with my blog even though the food parts are blah, blah, blah.
Okay--the hula hoop guy is your brother?! You tried to explain this to me before, but I couldn't picture who he was. One second into the video and I knew. Yes, you have us all beat.
Hilarious about the buns, Zip. So typical of Mom--I can just picture it. I hope you are waking up to coffee cake right now.
Hi Single Gal! I know, I am lucky. And beats me about the fries. I've never attempted fries in my kitchen because I'm certain I'd be disappointed.
pds , you are exactly right, I posted my comment and one min later Zip's was there, so we were posting at the exact time, you can tell she hadn't read my comment yet, funny little coincidence huh?
Doh! I forgot that you're related to THE hula hoop guy. :hangs head in shame:
This sounds like the perfect day. I want to go to Pike's place so bad. I love that you share this with us :)
Will a rhubarb coffee cake recipe be posted soon? ;)
I loved going to Lola for a date night with Greg when our second daughter was several weeks old earlier this year. Wonderful food - I take every opportunity to have luscious lamb that I don't have to cook. I'm enjoying the blog - thanks for sharing!
You deserve every wonderful comment you get - for the writing you do is so perfect! You capture the beauty, whimsy and magic that surrounds us every day, if we only remember to look for it!
Thank you, Deidra! Nice to see your name pop up again.