pleased to meat you

scene from a meat department.

edgar:"am dat ticken?"

me:"no, it's..."

edgar (interrupting); "am dat beef?"

me:"no, it's..."

edgar, (very excited now); "am dat carrion?"

humus?

the girl loves helping out, but doesn't seem to be a big fan of garlic...

pirate pei's birthday

the kiddies attended special birthday last week...

pirate theme!!!

 the invitation noted that costume wasn't required,

but c'mon!  a dress-up birthday?  the best thing ever!

edgar decided to be a skeleton pirate,

while esther sported the scurvy knave look.

don't let the gentle gaze fool you;

she is brandishing a sword, after all!

blackberries

well, i broke down today and purchased a tablet computer "for my husband".  truth is, i knew i would be hooked.  line and sinker, baby.  such a reasonable price, this one; i even voluntarily entered the big box store (we all know the one...) and approached a hunching bunch of post teen associates to enlist service...ugh.  i felt like such a maroon. 

and yet here i am, attempting a post on this new (to me) tech-gadget, and rather enjoying it.
 reel me in. 

sunshine slaw

my favourite winter vegetable may just be the simple carrot.  

sure, it is a veg'n'dip staple, but carrots also add sweetness to a simmering stew,

crunch to a stir-fry, hidden goodness to a muffin, and noses to snowmen.

(not to mention googly eyes for children in the kitchen!)

i don't often use them in salads, though...

perhaps put off by the memory of

vinegary shredded-carrot/bloated-raisin salad once served by via-rail

in the complementary snack pack...

well call me crazy, but my carrot salad days may have returned.

i challenge anyone to shred a firm carrot, pile it into a stark white bowl, and not think of sunshine.

~

in fact, into that bowl:

 shred four carrots,

mince one scallion

toast 3 T sesame seeds

and toss the whole mix with a dressing of:

1T tamari

1 T roasted sesame oil

1 T rice vinegar

1 t miso paste

1 t finely grated gingerroot

dig in, or chill to mingle flavours.

tonight, a side for brown rice and salmon,

but it would sing in a sandwich,

or serve as a fresh topping for baby spinach, or other tasty greens.....

i think i'll make eight carrots worth next time.