Sunday, January 31, 2016

occupy dog bed



Mabel is invisible

Saturday, January 30, 2016

one foot on the banana peel



I bought 5 bunches of perfectly ripe bananas that were priced at $0.89 per bunch last week - why?  Because frozen bananas are ingredient #1 in any smoothie - they act like ice cream - if you ever see a bargain like this, peel them before you freeze them and you'll have smoothies for months

Friday, January 29, 2016

Easter bear



I fell in love with this figurine I saw at a gift shop in the Grand Traverse Commons where we sell cheese on Saturdays.  It is a vintage looking bear wearing a clown hat, holding an Easter basket and a chocolate rabbit on a stick. Mine.  I got to thinking, though, about how far away collecting Hummels or Precious Moments could be when this stuff starts appealing to me.  

Thursday, January 28, 2016

rooty



Farmers market trades from last Saturday: celeriac, a red cabbage, potatoes, onions, shallots, dried tomatoes, 20 year balsamic vinegar, and some gluten-free cookies

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

a couple of bags



ancient Polish tradition of applying pirogi to reduce under-eye puffiness

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

best Burn Night



January 25th is the beloved Scottish poet Robert Burns' birthday, and the evening is traditionally celebrated with 'Burns Night' gatherings.  My friends held a wonderful evening at the town hall in Lake Ann, Michigan.  Here are the vegetarian scotch eggs I made for the party - that's mustard dipping sauce in the middle


They boiled a real haggis - no thank you!


The handsome bagpiper Dick Flowers


shortbread


I brought my Mom as my date - she made delicious oat cakes


they played a great collection of vinyl records specially selected for the evening


the libation table



the spread of food was truly magnificent - there's Mom checking it out


partygoer Chelsea reading Burns Address to a Haggis, dirk in hand


animals are love



I posted about Raquel's amazing rescue of her wonder-kitten Freeway last month here - he is growing up and the sweetest most loving cat ever

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Oliver Pickles & Leroy



Dave's sweet kitties - this is Oliver




cat in the bag - Leroy hiding 

Saturday, January 23, 2016

shwarma art



Cedarland Restaurant had some crazy 80s murals on the wall, including this one of ski racers


it was



Friday, January 22, 2016

fool for the fava foul



My favorite people, and a table full of some of the most delicious food I've had in a long time - mega chow down at Cedarland Restaurant in Dearborn, MI

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Arabian Village



my partner in grocery shopping


I'm cray-cray for the kri kri


still gettin' my freekeh on


work it


a beautiful talisman


they sold bales of marijuana


beautiful selection of Middle Eastern cheeses, which I thought would be weird, but were surprisingly delicious and sophisticated

wall of vegetables



at Westbourne Market, Berkley, MI (my home town)

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Monday, January 18, 2016

onion + garlic = shallot



farmers market trade: a bunch of perfect shallots

Sunday, January 17, 2016

little prints



a bunny visitor left tracks all over the farm, including all over the back porch of the house 



Thursday, January 14, 2016

love me do



It's taken  couple of years, but my barn cat Mama has discovered the joy of letting me pet her! Each day she will cuddle up to me, purring loudly, as long as I want to stay down in the barn with her.  I am so glad she has come around to my affection - she was a 100% feral cat, and is now as tame as my house cats.  I love it.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Hermits



what do I do when I only have the use of one hand? Bake cookies. 

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

cold war



Mabel and Rudy fight and hiss at one another daily, so finding them napping near each other was cute but strange

Monday, January 11, 2016

love you forever



9:10



910 was our street address on Larkmoor in Berkley, MI - the Kurta family home where my siblings and I grew up.  The house was knocked down many years ago to make way for a shopping area.  Through the years and to this day, I find I frequently find it to be 9:10 when I glance at the clock.  My folks say it happens a lot to them too - a sentimental number for the Kurta family

Sunday, January 10, 2016

sky study #141



no filter used on this sunrise Monday, January 4th, 2016

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Friday, January 8, 2016

the surgery



I had carpal tunnel release surgery on my hand yesterday - all went well - it's still feeling kind of numb this morning but no bad pain 


If you are grossed out easily don't look at this too closely: I asked if my Doctor would take a picture during the procedure 

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Monday, January 4, 2016

hoovering


My new vacuum cleaner


my favorite detail from the instruction manual



Sunday, January 3, 2016

etc from Wisconsin



Ullmers let me take a 1990 edition of Hoard's Dairyman magazine - a publication for the dairy cow industry - I love brown Swiss cows like the cover model


stopped at Seguin's cheese shop and picked up some interesting samples: "danger"-level ghost pepper cheese, a little piece of cheddar in the shape of Wisconsin, and smoked string cheese


graphic from a gas station in the U.P.


Dad napping


our room at the Bay Motel