a year in food

Sometimes the table is cleared of my laptop and the mail and random bits and pieces of my day and it's set with flowers and real place settings. Sometimes we unload our McD's bags here and snarf french fries while shoving the mail and random bits and pieces to the other end of the table so it doesn't all get greasy and salted.

Regardless of what it looks like at the time, this is the place where we normally eat. We can look out the window at the setting sun and watch the neighbors walk their dogs on the golf path as we transition from day to evening. From time apart to time together.

Meals in my single days were often consumed in several courses…consisting of "what is it that I want to eat right this minute?" "okay, now that's gone…what do I want now?" My husband has been known to eat a box of ice cream sandwiches and call it dinner. I tend to want three meals a day…he's content with one big one, plus snacks. I love creamy, cheesy sauces and lots of veggies. He would rather steer clear of anything close to alfredo sauce.

The first time I came down to visit, Dave was planning to cook me dinner the one evening I was in town. He was all excited to do his bourbon/honey marinated steaks on the grill (dee-lish, btw). That afternoon, as we were talking about dinner, I asked him what else we were having besides steak and got a blank look in return. Steak was what was for dinner. (I convinced him I needed something green, so we stopped for some zucchini on the way. whew.)

There's lots of places here to get fresh produce, starting in April sometime…they truck stuff up from Florida and set up roadside stands. There's a farmer's market at the local fairgrounds where you can get all kinds of locally grown goodies…including some crazy grapes as big as plums!

Strawberry season lasts from April through June…in spite of a crazy hail storm in there somewhere. You can get a big bucket, picked that morning, for $10 at the local farmers market. I buy one and we eat and freeze & make jam. Homemade waffles with strawberries, smoothies, pound cake topping, strawberry shortcake…and plain old bowls of deliciousness. We took full advantage in 2009…and are already looking forward to April to start again!

my love makes me coffee…
and I make him cookies…

we grill a lot in the summer…and eat on the deck if it's not crazy hot…

I've introduced Dave to edamame…it's a keeper! So glad I found it at the commissary, as none of the local places have it. They don't know what they're missing! Of course, there is swiss chard in abundance down here, and I've yet to try any. I'm probably missing something good, too…

Just thought I'd throw in a shot of my hostess outfit here. As many patterns and tutorials for aprons I find out there, I have yet to make myself one. A dish towel tucked into my jeans will have to do for now. I posted back in june about the appetizer course I hosted for the progressive dinner. More scrumptious food photos are here.

we love a good salad…

and adding basil from my own pot on my back deck to anything makes it better! I'm looking forward to trying lots more herbs this year.

the teapot and tea flowers were a wedding gift…almost a shame to use them up, they are so pretty!

there is, of course, the occasional breakfast visits to ihop and waffle house with my love. There are some things you just can't cook at home.

and I will leave you with a lovely bowl of granny smiths…which became my Thanksgiving pie.





I feel like I'm going to end every post for a while with how frustrating the new blogger editor is. I think maybe I'll just go back to the old one while they get the kinks out. Assuming, of course, that they plan to get the kinks out. The spacing issues and image sizing is making me twitch.

Thanks for joining me for my year in food!