Vegetable Curry

With the return of cooler weather this week, I turned to a Fall Vegetable Curry recipe. The photo on the website shows cashews in the curry, but they are not listed among the ingredients.  I used peanuts, which were great.  I also used up some brussel sprouts to substitute for the cauliflower.

This is not a particularly strong curry, so you can adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes.

Snow Child

While trolling through blogs a month or so ago, I ran across a mention and recommendation of this new book, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. (Yes, the author was named after  The Lord of the Rings character....)

Touted as a book which could be the literary love-child of a Willa Cather and Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel, set in 1920s Alaska, I was game.

This reimagining of a Russian fairy tale of a childless couple who craft a girl out of snow only to have her come to life starts out strong with lovely imagery and poignant depictions of the main characters.  However, if I were in charge of the editing world, I would recommend that the author not only cut about 1/4 of the book (it bogs down a little in the middle with description of ordinary homesteading-type activities), but also rework the last 1/3 of the book.  The care that Ivey takes in creating three-dimensional characters in the beginning disappears as she shifts focus from the couple to the Snow Child.

I wanted to love this book, but I merely liked it.  I should revise my expectations of glowing reviews for first novels....

Wednesday in the Water-Wise Garden, Part Next

Our garden overfloweth with these heuchera, or red coral bells.  We love these shade-tolerant red-flowered plants. You can buy them in 6-packs at Mt. Fuji in Upland, they grow easily, their little flowers burst open in all their redness at the top of their thin stems in the spring.  Right now we have some growing in the area of our side yard which started out as a failed vegetable plot (not enough sun).  The plan, I think, is to add a few more 6-packs to this area and perhaps scatter some rocks throughout.  

Sanskrit

Yoga seems to be in the news lately, probably because it has become fairly popular in mainstream culture.  I read about the problems that some people have when practicing yoga too strenuously (not an issue for me, that's for sure!).  Just last week I read that some purists are concerned that the word Hindu does not even appear in yoga magazines.

I understand that my once-a-week yoga class does not, in many ways, mirror a true yogi's practice, but I do know that I feel good after a class, and the physical stretching to keep my muscles from becoming too stiff is part of the three-pronged approach to exercise (with aerobic and strengthening exercises also important).

My yoga teacher does, actually, hint at Hinduism at the beginning of every class.  We start with three Ohms and then chant the Invocation to Patanjali.  Over the past two years I have gone from the "repeat after me" mode of the chant to almost having it memorized, even though I really don't think about the meaning of the Sanskrit.  I have looked it up, and you can read the chant here in both Sanskrit and English.

End-of-the-Year Dinner

The Claremont Colleges are in preparation for the end of yet another school year.  Alumni weekend has come and gone with the various performing groups strutting their stuff.  The Claremont Concert Orchestra  performed, along with the Concert Choir, the Brahms Requiem. (You can read my music blog about the concert and my thoughts on Brahms here.)

As per tradition, the choir and orchestra shared a lovely dinner at Scripps' Malott Commons to celebrate yet another great season of music-making.  Community members of the ensembles (aka "the grown-ups") sit together and enjoy a chance to talk about a number of things.

Portabello mushroom

This year our conversation took a silly turn.  One of the forks at the table had a bent tyne, and that somehow led to a discussion about a runcible spoon. Pretty soon a few of us started quoting as much of the Edward Lear poem "The Owl and the Pussycat" by memory as we could.  When we faltered, someone would check their smartphone and get us back on track.  I had not thought about that poem for a long time, and it certainly produced a few giggles at our table.  Bong-trees, anyone?

Grill Logistics

Conundrum.  Find a new grill at Lowe's.  Try to put it in the backseat of a 1998 Toyota Camry.  Look befuddled.

Solution.  A friend walks up in the parking lot and says, "I have my pickup truck.  Do you want me to drive that grill home for you?"  Yes, please!  Thanks, Lelia!

Library Book Sale

It's time for the Spring Book Sale at the Claremont Library!  Now, if you know me, or read my blog, you know that books are right up there with food for the quantity of blog posts.  If you know me, or read my blog last summer, you know that I frequently try to pare down the possessions in my house.  Books, though, pose a quandary for me.  Although I believe strongly in borrowing books from libraries and friends (who has time to read every book multiple times?), I can hardly resist a used book sale.  It's like crack.  So, yesterday I walked out of the sale with a Trader Joe's bag half-full of books for $8.50.  First of all, I know that the money is going to a great cause.  Second of all, I have at least half of the books earmarked to give to certain people.  Third of all, the remaining books will travel with me.  When I finish reading them, I will leave them strewn behind for the next person to enjoy. 

Ukelele Player

Last weekend H could not resist adding his contribution to the pot for this cute ukelele player out in front of Starbucks in the Village.

Warm Bacon and Herb Coleslaw

On Sunday I took this coleslaw to book club, and I was very happy that we had some of it leftover for the next day.

As a kid I was no fan of coleslaw, but now I really enjoy it, and this one (no mayo!) is very delicious.  It's in my "keeper" file.

Wednesday in the Water-Wise Garden

Today's post comes not from my garden, but from one of the garden's on Sunday's tour.  Not only is this particular garden very draught-tolerant, but it also has many edibles, "because fescue does not make good salsa." (This yard also belongs to my friend, Eric, who landscaped my own yard almost four years ago.  You can see photos of that project on my blog if you go back to posts from January to April 2009.)

I particularly liked this use of an old magazine rack to house succulents.  When the plants get bigger and more start cascading down the front, it will be quite lovely.