TUNDRA TUESDAY

I truly believe it's all Belgium's fault.

He said he was dreaming of a white birthday but I don't think he had THIS much snow in mind.

It started snowing on Friday and by Saturday evening, we were blanketed with about 26 inches.

It's been a rough ride -- no power, no internet or phone, and eight chickens without a heat lamp.

If the power didn't come back (which fortunately it did), I planned to bring the chickens inside to spend the night in a corner of the garage.

Once the sun goes down hens are docile and can be easily picked up and carried indoors.

Of course, the tricky part is getting them back to their coop when they are awake and frisky in the morning.
They can't walk in deep snow very well, so I can’t just push them out the door and point them in the right direction.

Since we were planning a party on Sunday for Belgium's birthday, I stocked up on groceries.

It's a good thing, because we probably won't get out for another 3 or 4 days (more snow is on the way this afternoon.)

Belgium was sad that our guests couldn't come, but he celebrated in style and hung out with the chickens.

On Monday, our lawn mowing crew showed up with a plow. The plow promptly got stuck on our hill and it took hours to get it out and moving again.

It really is beautiful however. See for yourself.
Belgium says, "Enjoy the slide show and stay warm."

Make a Smilebox slideshow

FROZEN WATER SIDE WEDNESDAY

Yes, it snowed AGAIN, and there's more on the way. Thanks El Nino!
No snow photos this time, I'm getting bored with all that white stuff and opted instead to read a few of the press releases from plant and seed companies that arrived in my in-box this week.

Although there are lots of interesting new veggies and annuals available this year, what really caught my attention are these Old English cottage garden roses.

Aren't they positively dreamy?

This spring (which is only weeks away in my neck of the woods), David Austin (click name to see more) debuts five new repeat-flowering varieties.

Each will grow into a bushy shrub suited for garden beds, big pots, and dramatic border landscaping.

And, dear Waterside Cottages fans, please note that they are hardy enough to stand up to persnickety coastal growing conditions.

My favorite is the velvety 'Princess Alexandra of Kent' (at right) with soft pink petals enclosing richer pink inner ones. Individual blooms boast approximately 130 petals!

The fragrance is described as tea rose-scented maturing to lemony. I prefer my roses with a classic old rose 'nose' but I'm willing to compromise for this beauty.



SUPER BOWL SUPPER

I'd like to apologize to my Hoosier friends for not knowing their state dish.

According to the folks at www.delish.com, by far, the most famous food hailing from the great state of Indiana is the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.

Pounded flat until it's about the size of two hands, the pork tenderloin slice is breaded and fried and served on a bun with tomato, onion, and pickle. This oversized sandwich was invented in 1908 in Huntington, Indiana, and most likely descended from German Wiener schnitzel.

"I understand they're hard to come by in other parts of the country," notes Jolene Ketzenberger, the food columnist for the Indianapolis Star. "The boneless cuts of pork, are sometimes pounded thin (other times they're quite thick)are generally huge--much bigger than the bun they're served on."

To learn more food specialties favored by Colt fans, take their Super Bowl Food Quiz. I scored 9 out of 10 for Touchdown.

*** BLOG DU JOUR ***

Cindy at Cute Pink Stuff (click here)has been shopping again.

This week, this savvy southern California shopper found irresistible vintage fishies and a delightful mermaid, so swim on over and take a look!

Cindy's shop is stocked with equally enticing treasures, too.

MORE WINTER ESCAPES

It snowed again yesterday, and this time I've mentally escaped to sunny New Orleans.(Photo by Phil Mantas)

It all started with Zeitoun, a book by Dave Eggers, that was loaned to me by a friend. I started reading it just before bedtime on Friday night and rode out a good part of Saturday's snow storm following the non fiction trajectory of Hurricane Katrina and its effects on the Zeitoun family.

Then, this morning, while trudging up a snowy hill to check on the chickens, I glanced back at the house and noticed something sticking up out of the snow in front of my garage. It was a package left by UPS. Despite being buried overnight, it contained an undamaged copy of My New Orleans, a coffee-table-worthy cookbook by Louisiana chef John Besh.

Hmmm, seems to be a theme developing here...

My love affair with New Orleans began when I was in college and was invited down to Mardi Gras by a pen pal. I quickly discovered the city's multifaceted personality and have been traveling back there in real life and in my daydreams ever since. Yes that's me circa 1970s.

On my first trip, I watched Mardi Gras parades in the city and horseback revelers going house to house collecting ingredients to make a community-sized pot of gumbo out in Lafayette.

I heard Cajun music played live in a gas station and the witnessed the terrifying remnants of a Klan cross burning in one of New Orlean's suburbs.

I also fell in love with the food. Hot and spicy, and unlike anything I ate back home in Brooklyn.

Since that time, I've returned to NOLA for business and pleasure, concepts that are consistently blurred in this intriguing city.

Anyhow, getting back to My New Orleans...


What makes this cookbook special is that the recipes for classic versions of crawfish pie, gumbos and etouffees are set in a framework of the city's culinary history and the reminiscences of the extended Besh family's kitchens.

From what I've read so far, it's definitely worth adding to your cookbook collection.

Lest you think I'm just frittering away a perfectly good snow day, I'm actually doing "research" for Superdog Sunday.

Next weekend is Belgium's birthday. He'll be 12! Belg and his brother Ike who lives in New Jersey and his buddy Chase like to celebrate together. So there will be a crowd.

This year, the furballs are also sharing their birthday weekend with the Super Bowl's Saints and Colts.

I'm planning to cook up some authentic N'Orleans. Sorry Colt's fans, I have no idea what delicacies folks eat in Indianapolis.

Besides, what's not to love about Crawfish Etouffee, Grits and Greens.

And while Belgium might prefer a burger as the base for his birthday candles, I think nothing could be finer than a home baked Pecan Pie.

Hopefully, I'll be able to make it up my driveway in a day or two to go grocery shopping. Meanwhile, there are over 200 southern style recipes to check out.
Snow? What snow?

WATERSIDE WEDNESDAY: Caribbean Recipe

With snow in this week's forecast again, I decided it was time for my annual winter ritual... Caribbean Day.

What is Caribbean Day?

It's a one day mini-vacation that started when my son was young.

One January, schools were closed because of sleet and ice, and we were both cranky at being stuck inside.

We pulled out the Bob Marley cassettes and Cds, dressed in camp shirts and spent the day cooking a meal that would make us feel as if we were on the beach in Jamaica.

If you, too, are anxious for warm weather to arrive, try this menu and no matter what winter throws your way, you'll be feeling as if it's No Problem Mon.

DRINKS:

Pina Coladas (with or without rum)

MAIN MEAL:

Jerked fish

Ital Stew (see recipe below)

Rice and field peas (see recipe below)

DESSERT:

Fresh pineapple chunks

JERKED FISH

Any kind of fish fillets or fish steaks

Wet jerk seasoning* (I like Grace brand. It comes in jars)

A bit of olive oil

Preheat oven broiler to 450 degrees. Rub fish with jerk on both sides and let sit for about 15 minutes. Place an empty oiled cookie sheet in oven. When the pan is hot put fish on pan. For fillets, cook for 4 minutes, turn fish and cook another 3-4 minutes. Thicker fish steaks will take about 8-10 minutes per side.

Wet jerk seasoning is a spicy blend of fresh thyme, young onions,, allspice, ginger, Scotch bonnet peppers, black pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. Every cook has her own version.

SISTER FIRE’S I-TAL STEW

3 large cans of coconut milk

6 carrots, finely sliced

1-2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 cups cabbage, sliced

2 cups okra, sliced

5 allspice berries (whole)

3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

5 scallions, finely sliced

2 large sprigs of fresh thyme (or about 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

Dash of tumeric

Salt & Pepper

Pour the coconut milk into a Dutch oven and at a low simmer, reduce it by half. This takes about 20-30 minutes. Add everything else. Add just enough water to barely cover the veggies. When veggies are tender, serve. Tastes even better if refrigerated overnight and reheated.

I slightly adapted this recipe from Traveling Jamaica with Knife, Fork & Spoon by Robb Walsh and Jay McCarthy. The book is published by The Crossing Press of Freedom, California.

CARIBBEAN RICE AND FIELD PEAS

Goes good with jerked fish or Ital stew.

2 cups of raw rice

1 can of field peas

(Glory brand Southern style seasoned field peas are my favorite but you can use gandules or Goya pidgeon peas which are easier to find)

Cook 2 cups of rice rice in rice cooker. Open can of field peas 3/4 of the way, then hold lid in place to drain peas. When rice cooker goes to “stay warm”, stir in drained field peas. Leave in cooker for at least 5 minutes to heat peas.

WATERSIDE WEDNESDAY: ALOHA

One of the little known pleasures of writing a book is that you rediscover old friends.
A month ago, a very talented Virginia decorator who I had lost touch with saw my book and sent me an e-mail.
She was living in Hawaii for the past six years and had recently opened a home boutique called Nest. She wanted to stock my book.
From experience, I knew that everything that Sandi Wickersham does, she does well, and I asked her to send me a few photos of her shop and recent work. Above is a bedroom she redid for a client. All of the other photos in this post were taken in Sandi's shop in Kihei on Maui.
When Sandi told me that my book, Waterside Cottages, was perfect for her shop, she wasn't kidding! Perched on a shelf, it really does look right at home at Nest.
Here's a closer view!
Born on a farm in Washington State, Sandi grew up surrounded by green hills, apple trees and a host of horses, cows, and chickens. For some reason, she always dreamed of living by the sea.
Her father encouraged her to draw. As an adult, Sandi gained recognition for her primitive style paintings of daily life at her family's farm, country fairs and other country scenes. She also painted her Caribbean fantasies filled with flamingos, frothy surf and stacks of shells.

Despite her success as an artist, Sandi has worked as a dental hygienist in California, opened an antiques shop in Texas and designed quilts and bedding for a company in New York City. Today she frequently incorporates Hawaiian quilt patterns into her design work.
Sandi and I met in 1993. She was living in a rustic log cabin in rural Virginia, raising horses and painting, and running two home design shops.
Her life seemed practically perfect but moving to Hawaii was her dream come true. To see more of what she's been up to visit www.wickershamdesign.com
If you are in the neighborhood, please drop by Nest and tell Sandi that Barbara sent you.
Of course, you might want to call ( 808-269-3228) first to be sure Sandi's not taking a break.

WATERSIDE WEDNESDAY:Old Leigh

As promised (before the blizzard of 2009), our English seaside tour continues in Leigh-On-Sea.(Photo by Richard Bartholomew)

As it has since the 16th century, Leigh earns it living from the sea.

Once an important port,

(Photo by Richard Bartholomew)

the town's position at the mouth of the Thames also made it a strategic naval defense site in the wars against against pirates and other European navies.

Old Leigh's past is everywhere you look.
From the old port side houses and leaning lampposts ...

... to the traditional lace curtains visible behind shuttered windows.

While it's tempting to look up at the interesting architecture ...

... and the sky-high windowboxes overflowing with flowers
Do so and you will miss the narrow winding cobblestone streets.
Well, now you've seen a bit of Old Leigh, how about a pint at The Peterboat Steak & Ale house?

Great idea!

A TREE-MENDOUS STORM

It's the morning after the big storm and Belgium wants to go out and play.
Hey, mind if I head for the really deep snow?

Uh oh, I'm stuck!

Does the dog paddle work in the snow?

You bet it does!
Hey, look at that! What is that thirty-foot tree doing lying down?
It's sort of on top of the coop. I can see they're all safe inside but one side has a big hole in it. Shucks, it would have been fun to chase the chickens around in the snow.
Personally, if you ask me, I think they should just leave it like it is. From the right angle, it kind of looks like a gigantic evergreen shrub!
See for yourself. Here's a before photo from yesterday. That big thick trunk on the left of the coop is the one that fell over. Oh well, think I'll go eat some more snow. Later!