1.16.2015

gifts






a beyond generous gift of a bushel of vegetables (carrots, beets, potatoes, watermelon radishes, spinach, garlic) from my might-as-well-be-sister-in-law, along with a few dozen eggs and meat from her farm.  she and my brother in law came for a visit last week and we all had a grand old time.  Claire always loves having extra hands around to draw and color with her and extra willing voices to read to her.  we ate at a place in Asheville, Bouchon, that we've been meaning to try for years. yumyumyum.  good times.

chai.  I finally made myself a batch.  of course, I'm already out, but that's alright.  I can make more.

and then there's Ziggy.  this cat is getting sweeter and sweeter with age, and I'm so glad he is here with us.  even if he does drive me nuts sometimes.  I guess that's how it is with most people/animals/things we love though, eh?

to be sure, there are piles all over in the mudroom, Claire's art supplies are turning into a mountain on the floor in the office, and not everything is all cat snuggles and free vegetables.  but it does me good to focus on the sweet little bits.  now I'm off to maybe clean a bit~

20 comments:

  1. Wow, what a wonderful and generous gift, all that amazing food. Such a cute kitty...

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  2. What a beautiful gift and one I know you love so much.
    Good for you in making chai, and now you get to make more, it's fun right? I have been drinking it by the gallons this winter.

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    1. oh it's my favorite kind of gift, for sure! I do love the chai- in years past I was making the liquid concentrate, but I'm enjoying the tea blend this year. yumyum

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  3. What an amazing gift! And watermelon in January?!?! Decadent! Your homemade chai looks divine. I've become addicted to powdered chai mix...time to make a homemade batch!

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    1. ha! watermelon RADISHES not actual watermelon! (they are not as spicy as other radishes and look like a watermelon when you cut into them) powdered chai? I am intrigued.

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    2. Oh, ha! Guess I need to learn to read. Powdered chai--just Oregon chai instant mix, which I've never once noticed or acknowledged until the day I had a major chai craving (what is that even about?) and didn't have the time to go get a chai latte (nor anywhere nice to go get one around here, either) and so I picked up a box at the grocery store, and it actually tasted pretty good, though very very sweet (and it coincidentally satisfied an even weirder craving I had recently for General Foods International Coffee). I went through two boxes in just over a week. Moral of the (excessively long) story: it's a good substitute for a chai latte in a pinch, but not a good habit to take on (26 g. of sugar per packet).

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    3. gotcha! are the general foods international coffees the ones in the little oblong/rectangular tins that came in all kinds of flavors? my mom used to drink those and I snuck some from time to time.

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  4. Those bushels of food were an incredible gift! You'll have wonderful things to cook with for quite some time. I'm looking for a good chai recipe. I've purchased it in a "just add water" powder and it was so sweet I didn't enjoy it at all. Any suggestions?

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    1. I shared a link to the one I've been making in the latest post- it is nice an spicy and very easy to adapt to your own tastes. I've also enjoyed making the liquid concentrate from the Pioneer Woman Kitchen (or something like that?) blog and it is very tasty too.

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  5. What lovely, generous friends. I think it's super cool to eat what was personally grown by someone you know.

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  6. love gifts of food, my dad gives them to me all the time, and I'm grateful every single time.

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    1. I love them, too- so generous and so nice to know the people and the land where your food comes from!

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  7. First, all of those veggies in such beautiful baskets are making me drool and oh, that kitty. Adorable.

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    1. Ziggy is quite the handsome feline. just shy of 14 years old and often still kitten-like!

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  8. visitors with food are the best, aren't they?? We don't just visit and eat in homes enough anymore. Mine's not clean, but it's good to just welcome people in in sockfeet and fireplace heat and cozy blankets, if you are comfortable that way. play some cards or knit or share a bit of beading and laugh and enjoy the warmth of each others' company... thinking a cat in the spring...

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    1. yes they are!
      oh a cat sounds like just the right thing to add to your place- another cozy, cuddly, inviting presence. well, depending on the cat, of course! ;)

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    1. I'll say! I was taken aback by all the goodness brought along- and am very happily still eating it all up.

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thanks for taking the time to read and comment~