Winter's Last Gasp?

Hi! Oh it was cold on my beach today!

With the wind chill hovering around 17 degrees and wind gusts of 35 MPH, today was one of the coldest days of our winter so far.

Not that I'm complaining! I actually enjoy cold weather, especially when it is so clear and beautiful. My ten minutes of fresh air turned into a two hour hike, how fun.

The earthmovers are here already. They level the sand and remove the snow fencing. These guys work long hours, sunrise to sunset.

I think they enjoy their jobs! And while it seems premature, as our biggest storms are often in March and April, I was glad to see them begin promptly on March 1st, to complete their tasks before the shorebirds arrive. I am watching daily for my oystercatchers---usually they arrive on St. Paddy's Day. [how do they know?]

I figure if I want to collect white clam shells and driftwood for my strange but popular beach garlands I better get out there and do some collecting. After the earthmovers come the sand rakes and they rake off all the goodies exposed by the March winds. I call them my competitors.

The shell string in the picture is festooned with drying antique lace, everything gets washed in my house!

And look! Someone made this huge heart with white clamshells, so romantic...

Not much small treasure today...a calico crab waaay up in the dunes, probably dropped by a gull, poor guy. He's pretty, isn't he? See his calico dots?

...a few interesting bottles:
THis one's cool, looks like vintage pressed glass...but, see the Star of David, in the design? It says Manischevitz on the base, must have once held Passover schnapps. It is fairly old, I think, since it is marked in pints. 2/5 of pints! That's tiny! Nicely weathered.

And this is new, label sort of still there. Brown beer-like bottle, dipped in white paint. Malibu Rum, maybe? Cleaned up, it will be perfect for some sea salt bath salts....

And a few bits of shells or seaglass.

I need to replenish my supply for my Curiosity boxes....

An almost full moon in the east...

And a red setting sun to the west.....

Cobwebs gone from my head, I happily if tiredly headed home, glad to know a cup of hot tea and an hour of quilting await me.
And temps in the seventies by Thursaday! A shorts day?

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...



pink self-portrait



Something for the Weekend

Hi! It's Friday and a chilly March evening here at the beach.

Should we cook? Something?

I got these very beautiful Italian tomatoes at Trader Joe's last week....

My blog friend Margaret challenged me to tell you what I'd make with a package of ground beef, a box of pasta, and an assortment of spices.

Hmmm. Probably I'd make meatloaf and serve it with the pasta, just a bit of butter and parm? Meatloaf recipe another time, because today we'll make my grandma's goulash. Not like James Beard's authentic Hungarian goulash which we'll also make another time....

This is my grandma's old fashioned Hamburger Helper-ish recipe, and in fact my mom could not bear to call it goulash, she just called it Grandma's Dish, lol.
My grandma always had this on the stove when we'd drive up to northern Ohio for Thanksgiving, arriving for dinner on Wednesday night, I guess. I think my brother and I liked this dish better than the turkey! It is hot and fragrant and yummy..and very retro, old-fashioned.

I like to make a big pot of it for winter weekends when I know I want to be busy quilting not cooking.

Do NOT overcook the pasta! Please.

In a large cast iron deep pan, like my trusty le Creuset pot, in a little olive oil, brown 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef.* I use half ground sirloin,half chuck, from my butcher so I know what is in the ground meat....along with one large minced Vidalia [sweet] onion, 5 or 6 cloves of finely minced garlic. Be sure to get it brown and crumbly but not tiny, maybe the size of gambling dice? Drain off excess fat.
*Maybe try ground turkey?

Add: 1 large can of Italian, peeled plum tomatoes, chop them up if they're whole, rinse them slightly if packed in puree. I had these two smaller cans on hand. I like to think the bright red tomatoes make this a slightly healthy meal....

Add: 1 box of gutsy pasta, i.e rigatoni, shells, mostacioli...though my grandma used Mueller's elbow macaroni sometimes too. If you're being very frugal, you may instead use up all the end boxes of pasta leftover in your pantry, mix 'em up.

Add: Just enough water to barely cover the pasta.

Add: a pinch of salt, a lot of black pepper, parsley, a pinch of sugar or Splenda [to de-acidify the tomatoes]. Do NOT add fine Italian spices like basil or oregano. If you didn't have the fresh garlic onion, add dried now. In fact, add some garlic powder just for the heck of it, Grandma always did!

Bring to a simmer, turn down the heat to a low simmer, stir now and then, until the pasta is just al dente. There should be some liquid left in the pot, it should not cook all dry. Add a little water if it needs it.
Do not over cook it!

That's it!  Serve in bowls [in front of the TV?]. You can add parm if you want but it is not an authentic amenity. I usually also serve a large green salad---or steamed brocolli, just because  we like our green veggies a lot...

Makes loads! Reheats great, even edible cold if the power is out in a snow storm.

enjoy!

Margaret, let me know if you like it!


BTW, I thought these cans were so great! Love the colors and the graphics....

---so I carefully washed them and sprayed them with clear sealant. Now they can be herb pots! Maybe fun hostess gifts next summer, filled with farmer's market fresh herbs or summer field flowers. I love finding a re-use for a pretty jar or can, don't you?

love


          lizzy


~~~~~gone to the beach

Spring Is blowing In! And Sand, and....

Hi! Look a the these ''whitecaps"--- rough seas outside my window today!

Old Man Winter has been trying to puff himself up for a final assault! High winds here at the beach ...but a softness, an early spring is in the air.

Remember my dollar bulbs, Home Depot at Christmas?

I don't much like the bulbs flowering at Christmas, my house has too much going on as it is.

inspiration/ incentive

I like to save the bulbs for winter and my plating right after the tree is down and the last ornie is back in its box.

I started the bulbs by my deck door, nice cold draft and sunshine...

The paperwhites start in the corner cupboard where it's quite dim in January.

The hyacinths are cute...if stunted.

The scillas are just grass, no sign of flowers, and the other daffs are going slow.

But Oh the paper whites!

Despite their overwhelming, uh, fragrance, they are just the Best!

Aren't they!

For a dollar a bag I had to experiment...but in the  future? Paperwhites for me!

love

lizzy

       .....gone to the beach