El perro loco

After the crippled dog incident and resulting doggie physical, the vet suggested putting Preston on a low impact poached chicken and rice diet. So now I'm cooking arroz con pollo for the dog. Aie-ya! The things you do for the ones you love. So much more work than kibble. Preston picks out the chicken and doesn't like rice. He probably learned that from me. As our eating habits are gradually swapping places, I will be eating cereal out of the dog bowls soon.

Cous cous with the figs and pistachios. I've been putting handfuls of pistachios into everything lately. I must be nuts.

And since I was still hungry, supper #2 is baked stuffed quince. Just like they do in the ancient olden days. Also with pistachios.

Put a fork in it

Tonight, I'm taking a break from turkey leftovers. We attempt to make fried rice. And then I am reminded that I never learned how to use chopsticks correctly. I am such an embarrassment to my grandma. But fried rice is still tasty with a fork.

Second to last session of wheel throwing class tonight. Overworked Junzo finally fired some of my plates and lumpy vessels. There's some ugly ass plates this go round, probably because I've been in an ugly mood a lot lately. If I send you one of the ugly ass plates as a gift this year, it means you're on my shit list. Carol the instructor wanted to steal the spotted dimply vase. I guess nobody else does the spotted glazing waxing techniques like I do. It's not that hard at all. I thought it would be an obvious thing to do.

My favorite plate so far. I was going for a rustic kind of mid-century type of feel. The blue grey glaze came out really deep and rich. And the shape is exactly how I envisioned it. Very happy with this one.

And I did multiple color glazes on the bottom. Which is also something nobody else thinks to do. Even if you don't see the bottom all the time, why wouldn't you put in the effort to make it interesting also? I'm very happy with the yellow brown leathery looking glaze. And the combination with the shiny blue grey is nice.

Hidden talents

If I block the front door, you can't go out and leave me behind.

You see, I'm smart. I just don't apply myself.

Salmon encrusted with wasabi peas. It's main entree and savory snack, all at the same time. Apples, radishes, and fennel dressed with sherry vinaigrette. The radishes are cut into teeny tiny matchsticks because I'm showing off.

Embalassed

Simple salt pickles from the Japanese picre press. Cucumbers were a bit bitter, so I will peel them next time. But carrots have a nice bite. Picre presses open up all sorts of opportunities for experimentation. Juniper berries. Pickled onions. Coriander. Pecks of pickled peppers. Eggplant. All sorts of new pickle inventions. And the inevitable failures. Massive massive pickle failures. Pickled bacon anyone? 

Fried rice - peas and bacon and corn. I just can't seem to make Chinese food correctly. One more thing that makes me an embarrassment to my people. The list is getting pretty long.

Sketchy

Camera died. So we will communicate visually using alternative methods.

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Peas and bacon fried rice. The secret to it's deliciousness is celery seed. And I cooked the rice in pineapple juice. And it had ketchup and bacon. (Especially the bacon.)

Block heads

Most awesome solar powered rapping kitty valentine. This one is extra awesome because of it's pink pearlescent paint scheme, arm waving, AND head bobbing motions.

Bad baby billy goat bounded out into the street to head butt Preston on our walk today. We now have attack goats in addition to sheep in the neighborhood.

To the proud parents of what? Goats?

My dying phone is showing me it's political affiliation. The two keys that don't work anymore are the "G" and "W" keys.

Orzotto with peas and pork. No lamb. Yet...