suzilightning

Welcome to the kitchen. Unfortunately whoever designed this kitchen was NOT into cooking. Step through the door and behold the stove! Turn to the left and you will see the sink and about 4 square space of prep area. When we bought the house there was a bistro table and two chairs here. I bought that 5 foot beast at a restaurant supply house. Reminded me of my workstation at the Chequit Inn on Shelter Island. Finally the books. These are all the cookbooks I own. Period. Note however the two boxes on the lower right part of the bottom shelf. Those are filled with hand copied recipe cards. It's true. I'm addicted. My addiction is so well known that for my birthday last year Diane, our Assistant Director, made me my own set of recipe cards with a pink flamingo on it. Don't ask. It's another shame I have. There is kitchen art as well such as The Shrine to the Pig. It is an old Gourmet cover that hung in a friend's kitchen until she debarked for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Then I inherited it and it has been in my kitchen, wherever I am, since that time in 1979. But that wall paper - hideous. This was a piece I picked up from a local watercolorist when I worked in Hudson, NY at the Columbia-Greene Community College. We are planning to renovate. New oven, cooktop and stove, get rid of the wallpaper (paint and a border of wine bottles) and flooring (I'm leaning towards cork). I do love the cabinets. Now if I can find someone to refinish them and new hardware.

Schedules. Anyone who works customer service knows we don't keep bankers hours. I have always worked at least one night and on the weekends. Currently I work three nights: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Saturdays and after Labor Day every other Sunday. I don't get home until after 8 pm on those nights so dinner for me is at work. For John, it's usually at home while watching Mad Money with Cramer. I also pack breakfast and lunch for John and usually a lunch for me. On the days that I am off John tries to get home so we can have dinner and time to sit and talk. When I have to work a Sunday many times I leave a meal ready to go into the oven and EXQUISITELY DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS. This morning John's meal pail looked like this. Egg sandwich on whole grain bread. Lunch is leftover meatloaf, salad and a potato and bean salad. Cantaloupe for a snack. Breakfast is half and apple with a tablespoon of chunky peanut butter, 1/2 a vup of Fage plain and the last of the cantaloupe...as well as the ubiquitous Arnie Palmer. After feeding and playing with the kitties it was time to make lunch and dinner. Many times I will make a double portion of something and leave it at work for lunch or dinner the next day. That is the case with Waldorf Chicken Salad.

After we got home yesterday the first order of business was surveying the booty then lunch. We went with a ploughman's lunch of rosemary ollive bread from Everything Home Made, the cheese in the market shot, some great, sweet cherry tomatoes with some balsamic vinegar and tiny pickles. I added some cantaloupe. Then a glass of Arnie Palmer and something to read. I first started reading the columns that make up this book two years ago when they were posted online, steered there through Mayhaw Man's link. The second collection that makes up the last half of the book was new to me. It is a tough book to read but an important one. The next thing to do is get everything broken down. The melon of the week is dispatched, cut into bite size pieces and put into a container. Beans are tipped and tailed and blanced. Any not used in the next day or two are bundled into servings and frozen. All lettuces are washed well, spun, and put between paper towels in a plastic bag. The onions and potatoes are stowed as are the zucchini. Heirloom tomatoes and cherries are just kept on the counter but there is a different end in store for those jerseys: tomato rice soup. Here one is nekkid before being cut across the equator and his guts scooped out to be strained for tomato water. I actually use a vegetable peeler a la Marcella Hazan and find it works better for me. Olive oil, garlic, carrot and onion, risotto rice then the herbs, water, tomatoes and stock. The finished product ready for the freezer. After all of that it must be 5 o'clock somewhere so off to sit by the lake for a half hour.

Sorry but I don't like bagels. Everyone at the library likes Bagel Station here in town, especially in the fall when they do their pumpkin bagels. Which place in Parsippany do you like?

That was a gift from someone you will meet probably Tuesday named Maria. I believe she got it at Marshalls.

Yes. About 10 miles up the road is Bobolink Dairywhere they do artisinal cheese as well as bread. There have been two New Jersey gatherings there.

you are right about that teagal. technically and ethically they are sparkling wines, not champagnes since only those sparkling wines from the champagne region can bear that appelation. i can see their method rationalle but they may find themselves on the nasty end of a visit from a lawyer since the Champagne region tends to oversee their DOC strongly.

Kathy I am so NOT a city girl but if I could find a place in NOLA (especially after the Johnnybird retires) I would so go ... especially if John Besh is there. There is something about a Marine who can cook and handle a 9mm that is sooooooo intrigueing<sp>.

. I love this place too and actually made friends with a farmer who lives just down the road from me. Now I can just call and they will pick fresh kale or whatever I am looking for before I stop by. It just doesn't get better than that! Although I only recently registered on egullet, I have been lurking since I first moved to NJ 5 yrs ago - specifically to find out where to go to eat. We love Zoe's, which I know I learned about through egullet, and probably specifically from your posts. We were just there last weekend. Now I have learned about Pittengers too! Am really enjoying this. ← llc45 Hope you found some friendly faces in the pictures. I love the market and all that it represents. I think you are thinking of Rosie Saferstein who used to manage the New Jersey Board and brought some of us over from first nj.com/forums and then Rosie's Food Bytes. I love the fact that I can get good American /European food and NOT Italo-American the same thing after the same thing. For those of you not in this section of New Jersey or in the Lasagna Belt of the Eastern Catskills to find something other than an Italo-American restaurant is a cause for celebration. Most serve the same thing - lasagne with dry noodles, pizza, salads of mozzarella,basil and tomato in the dead of winter. The propritors of a lately closed restaurant in my town, Casa Bianca, were really from Croatia. Can we really see good regional food or is it being dumbed down for the "American " palate?

That must have been quite a sight. I usually try to fly through the prime area as expeditiously as possible, to avoid a high-speed collision. Gliders are a bit slower, and on the occasions I've used raptors or gulls to help me find thermals they've usually vacated quickly. Something about a white bird with a 55' wingspan unnerved them, I suppose. John must have had a fine view. And yes, you really should look me up when the time comes. Regarding your further posts - something is strange with my formatting, so I won't quote the others: 1. What is a bio-dynamic farm? 2. Do you make your own Green Goddess dressing? If so - care to share the recipe? If not - which brand do you prefer? 3. (comment) I'm from California, and Miracle Whip was a staple around our household. At some point my tastes changed and I'm a mayonnaise fan now, but that doesn't change the beginning. It isn't a Midwestern Thang. 4. I'm sure others will be as interested as I in the specific adjustments to food that y'all have to make to keep your physiques on an even keel. You're off to a great start, and I'm looking forward to more! Finally, as to the full, overloaded bag with wonderful goodies: I can relate. I looove the farmer's market, with all its perils. ←

walleye ... i want walleye..............

The Lafayette Farmer's Market. I have been going here for about 4 years now. I love it. Since I seem to have a talent for killing things I always appreciate those who don't. I grew up with farmstands and potato fields. My family shared about a 1/2 acre plot with "Aunt Belle" who ran The Bowditch House across the street from us. I remember hoeing and weeding and picking beans until my arms thought they'd break. I also remember once when something went wrong and a whole slew of bottles with those same green beans in the exploded in the cellar. Now I'm happy to support some of Sussex County's farmers. First thing I do is case the market from one end to another with my trusty basket at my side. This is usually my first stop Great peaches and the apples are just starting to come in. Today was Apple pie or Peach Blueberry pie and of course their apple cider doughnuts. For you, Sandy, my cheese guy from Pennsylvania. Next another small farmer who is organic. Danaray Farms featured in Garden Plate Magazine's latest issue is a bio-dynamic farm and recently hosted a New Jersey Audubon tour. Almost all of their product goes to their CSA but they usually have eggs, the goat soap, flowers and Dana's preserves. Meat next so that means Pittingers. Today some sweet Italian sausages and ground beef. No pork chops. Last but not least ValleyView Farms. So back home with my basket filled to overflowing

Oh, I forgot dinner last night. I stopped here I have been going to Jerry's for years, now. He hits Fulton - or I guess the new Fulton - Fish Market on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They also know me well enough that they will do special things for me: saving bones for fumet, saving the tail of the halibut so I can have a filet instead of a steak. Picked up 20 large shrimp. Split the shell backs and cleaned them out then steamed them over a mix of water, peppercorns and lime juice. Chopped them into pieces when cool and mixed with cubed avacado, shallot, mayo mixed with lime juice and a touch of Pinot Grigio vinegar. Piled back into the shell and served with the last of the Brandywine tomatoes and salad for John's supper. Form me I cubed the other half of the avocado and plated it over greens with the tomatoes and half a chopped chicken breast with Green Goddess dressing. Perfect for a hot and humid night Later had my nightcap in our most irreplaceable glassware

So this morning John tells me I must be getting my period because I'm grumpy. No, I'm grumpy because I have seen 15 minutes of sun in 8 days and we had a doozy of a thunderstorm last night. Anyway breakfast first: Arnie Palmer. My sister-in-law, Julie gave me the carafe. It hasn't seen a drop of wine but plenty of iced tea. Then my quark and the last of the peaches. Time to go next door and check on the kids. I have been without a pet in the house since I had to have my cat, Allie, put to sleep 2 years ago. Luckily our neighbors, Carol and John, have a brother and sister who I get to take care of when they are on vaca. Our routine is breakfast and fresh water first thing in the morning. While they eat I clean the litter boxes then 1/2 hour of pets. I go back later in the evening for some rousing games of "Fetch the Day Glow Mouse" or "Who's in the Paper Bag". So here they are Sinder and Smudge Smudge is the one with the yellow collar and serious rhinestones which is why I call him Bling Boy. He used to have a lovely blue collar similar to Sinder's but he would bite it until he got it off - then take her collar off, too. Now all black cats in a dark house is not a good thing. His human mama, Carol, told him if it did that one more time she was going to trick him out - and she did.

Michelle - yes we do eat out side and don't have much of a problem at all. I blew the teaser away but - IF we ever get any sun around here I was going to take pictures of the back yard from down on ground level. In the meantime here's one of our "lake" - puddle more like it- that is the headwaters of Lake Hopatcong, the largest manmade lake contained within the state of New Jersey.

Born Mid-Western? IME (in my experience), Miracle Whip is a midwestern thing, only precluded by Spin Blend (which is actually much better) which used to be a Hellman's brand. Hellman's sold it off to someone, so it seems to be only available in non-chain grocery stores. ←

ice shots, though it looks like you reduced these a bit overmuch. Your library kitchen looks more like a home kitchen -- I guess from this and other posts here that this librarian-foodie connection is serious! But not serious enough, it appears, for that fridge looks like it could use more condiments. [wink.gif] How's your home fridge and pantry stack up by comparison? We all must eat to live, but for most of us, skipping a meal or a snack isn't a life-or-death affair. You've now posted twice to the effect that for you and your husband, it matters if you don't eat. I am most curious to learn why this is so and how this may or may not affect your everyday routines, which you've said you'd get to in the course of this blog. Well, Sandy I have been shooting and photshopping for exactly two weeks now. I was afraid of posting the pictures whole and taking up too much space. I'll take pictures of the home fridge and freezers when I get back from the farmer's market later. They are much more filled, believe me. Sincs so much of my time will be taken up in other things for the next few months and we DO have to eat, I have been restocking the freezer especially. When I buy beans or fruit at the farmers market I will buy a bit more and freeze in serving size portions. I've been buying extra meat from Pittingers (a local guy who has free range beef and pork that if he has to supplement feed gives them certified organic only. It's neat going out to the farm and meeting dinner.)and stocking that away as well. It's so much easier to be able to pull a healthy meal together if you think ahead. John has a problem with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. We know some of his triggers: stress, too much fat, too much food at any time. Consequently he really needs to eat on a semi-regular schedule. Unfortunately he is a Senior Technical Lead Safety Engineer working for the Department of the Army. His job is to make sure the materiel that our troops use is safe for them to use. Stress? What Stress? Most of his day is taken up in reviewing documents or in meetings that he east breakfast and lunch either at his desk or in a meeting room. I try to make sure that he has things that will fit his food needs but can be eaten while working. For me - in the past I was a yo-yo dieter and it affects your body. I could easily go several days without eating but that just isn't healthy so I'm trying to correct how I eat.

OOOOHHHHHHH!!!!!! Hawk Ridge and Frank Nicoletti. The mecca of one and all in the Western Hemisphere - along with Veracruz and Corpus Christi. I may be hooking up with you in about 5 years, Nancy, because John will be retiring and we want to spend a season there. John used to travel to the Twin Cities for business so, when he had a two week stretch there, he took a flying trip up there and said it was so incredible for a hawkwatcher - eye level raptors who might, just might, dain to turn their heads and look at you. I can't wait.

For those of you wondering about what we are talking about check out the teaser photos. I will elaborate about the clues in photo #2. Please be patient with me. I have only been doing photos for the last 2 weeks. Before that we were dealing with the hordes of the Summer Reading Program. Now, since my specialties(profesionally that is)are teachers and children I swung over to the Circulation side and dealing with the multitudes of bored teenagers and adults trying to find jobs. John has informed me that while I was trying to cool off downstairs( we are an old fashioned household with no air but with fans and a below grade basement with dehumidifiers) he partook of the last of his shrimp and avacado salad, baked Lays potato chips, several cookies and something else...he doesn't remember. I always try to have snacks available for John since it is important he eats on a regular basis. We will deal with this concern during the week.... I have just finished a glass of iced Cointreau. Tomorrow brings the gym, Farmers Market and maybe some better pictures of the area. "night all.

sorry, darlin' after 30 August I am on the wagon for 3 months. Especially as you age if you drink (especially to excess) you lose your "eyes" or the ability to see raptors - especially in blue skies. Sooooo many think that hawkgawkers are negative since we may have bumper stickers that say "Blue Skies S*%K" and really mean it. We can lose a freakin bird that has a 6-7' wingspan in blue skies for lack of contrast. Course we check every white puffy for birds. You are thinking of Buttershots, a butterscotch liquer that you add apple cider mulled with some cloves and a cinnamon stick to. Succulent and dangerous.... Funny you said that about the jammed drop. The boss got called 3 weeks ago by the local police. Seems the drop was jammed and people weren't happy. I was on vaca in northern Vt and no one thought to make arrangements for pick ups.....

As you may have noticed there was no mention of lunch. That's becaue there was no lunch for me. It was very hot here with high humidity and, though it isn't healthy for me, when it is this hot I just can't eat. When I got back from the gym I steamed some shrimp, took a shower, started a load of laundry and went next door to take care of our neighbor's kitties while they are on vaca. When I got back home made a light salad dinner for both John and I (shrimp and avacado with a lime mayo for him; chicken breast with avacado and Jersey tomatoes for me). I have pictures but will up load them when I stop by the library to empty the bookdrop. We are closed on Sundays until after American Labor Day and the drop gets bollocksed up if it isn't emptied. Now it's downstairs to finish drying my workout gear so I will have it tomorrow.

DANG!! I'm working from home now and my ancient and cranky cow(Gateway) and less than high-speed dial up are not letting me do this the way I want to. It's actually 3 months but by the time that third month rolls around you are really ready to hang it up. Standing outside in 35mph NW winds and snow squalls because you MIGHT get a Golden Eagle and you are in 5 layers on the top, two layers on your hands, 4 layers on the bottom and 3 on your feet for 6 to 8 hours a day can be a bit much - but iI love it. As I explain it to people I was destined to be a hawk counter though I didn't realize my destiny until I was 39. I was very sick as a child(asthma) and my grandmother believed in the fresh air cure. If it wasn't raining cats and dogs or snowing I was bundled up in hat, coat and blankets and set out in the side garden. What else did I have but to observe. Of course I am also a Red Sox fan so we are used to not seeing somethin(happen) but ecstatic when it does (102 migrating Bald Eagles for a record last year). Food... during the peak of the Broadwing Hawk migration we may be on the site for 8-12 hours and we have to totally self sustained. WATER!!! I freeze half filled pint containers then each morning fill the other half with water. On a hot day I will go through close to a gallon. Both John and I have insulated carriers and ice packs. For me a typical days ration is: cottage cheese with fruit for breakfast, 3 slices of bread toasted, a container of my beloved Miracle Whip, a container of sliced tomatoes at this time of year, crackers, Laughing Cow cheese thingys or a few Bon Bel, maybe a container of chicken Waldorf salad to munch on for dinner. John prefers and egg sandwich for breakfast, plain chicken salad or a wrap or pita for lunch as well as his highly watered tea or vitamin water. He will tolerate fruit but the one thing we have is CHOCOLATE. Following the example of the crew at Hazel Bazemore State Park in Corpus Christi there is chocolate at our hawkwatch always. If it is hot it is kept cold; if it is cold it warms us up. For some reason the chocolate draws the birds. One year we put this to the test. John made a large poster showing NJ in the uppper right hand corner. He drew an arrow pointing to a map of Texas with Corpus starred in the lower left hand corner and wrote in bold letters CHOCOLATE . Within 30 minutes we started a counting barrage that lasted 2 hours and produced some 5000+ Broadwing Hawks, Osprey and Bald Eagles. And we didn't have to break out our supplies! Our chocolate of choice is the Fudgy Bourbon Brownies that I have posted in Recipe Gullet. As the seasons change so do our foods but all must NOT be messy and MUST be easily eaten with fork or held in one hand since the other hand is busily engaged with your bins.

unfortunately, England has been less than kind with supporting their public libraries and it is well documented in the professional media. The director and I were having a discussion of the future of libraries in our state this morning. she feels that within the next 20-30 the tax base (1/3 of a millage - a set amount based on population and budget) will be gone and we may have gone the way of California after Propostion 13. Prop 13 froze property taxes and immediately impacted libraries there. Actually where you are you are on a good migration path for cranes that winter a bit further south of you .

Snowangel mentioned that I had asked for these days though they aren't falling in the regular blogging days. I had my reasons. #1 was so I could take you to the Farmer's Market in Lafayette, NJ tomorrow morning. I have been going there for the last 4 years or so and it is bringing me back to how I ate growing up on eastern Long Island. We hunted and fished, foraged and grew. Now up here in northern New Jersey I no longer hunt or fish and I have a black - not brown the color of earth - thumb so my foraging is now done here. I'm lucky enough to have the money to support these local farmers with my purchasing power and have made some good friends. But tomorrow will be my last day till next June - unless it rains like crazy. That is because of #2. Beginning 1 September and until 30 November I spend any time I am not at work counting migrating raptors at the Picatinny Peak Hawkwatch that John founded. We are now in our 14th year of full time migration counts and report our data to various organizations such as Hawk Migration Association of North America, The Department of Defense, Partners in Flight andThe Raptor Population Index. From some of the analysis we are noticing a trend of declining populations among species such as kestral. Why? We aren't sure yet but the major conference this fall will include some research. #3 fits in with the teaser photo. I'm surprised no one recognized the Birthday Tiara. The bottle of champagne - or one just like it- will be busted open when I get back from work Thursday night. We will be going out to dinner to celebrate, though, at a little restaurant close to our house calledZoe's by the Lake. We like it because John can have two drinks and still be able to drive home. Thank you all for your questions and kind words. When I started typing this morning I was actually shaking... now it's off to the gym. Then I need to figure out what to make in the heat we are now experiencing.

Thank you for the kind words. I was so worried that after Kathleen's blog no one would really want to hear about an older middle aged librarian from North Jersey. When you are at the circulation desk ask if they have request forms. We have them at all manned desks. Most libraries you can make a subject request or request an individual title. Usually there are people who purchase in the major areas: Reference(me), Adult Fiction(Deanna), Adult Non-Fiction(Diane, our Assistant Director), Chidren's(the redhead in the picture of the Children's Room, Lyn) and Young Adult(Peggy). You might also ask to speak to that person. It will also depend on the collection policy your library has but at least here we try to shape the collection for our users. As for the Toast Dope demo...that will be done by my spouse of 25 years. Yes, the one, the only Johnnybird of Toast Dope Fame. And he will have to do it soon. I used the last of the dope making Peach Blueberry Kucken for his breakfasts.