In the Air

 

Spring is definitely in the air. All you had to do yesterday was to breathe deeply and to feel the pollen threatening to choke you. Still, the sun was out and the temperatures, for a change, were actually beginning to edge up into the category of what I would call true spring. Nice! Even the birds seemed to be loving it as they appeared almost everywhere, singing and chirping--Mockingbirds, Towhees, Bluebirds, Nuthatches, Chickadees, to name only a few of them that I saw.

Tempranillo

 The first time I can remember drinking a glass of Tempranillo was while hiking in northern Spain. Ever since then, I've made a place for it at my table. According to Wikipedia, "the dominant flavors include cherry, dried fig, cedar, tobacco, and dill. Age impacts the flavors of Tempranillo significantly, with Roble and Crianza examples imparting juicy fruit flavors and heat." Frankly, I would be hard pressed to describe the flavor, but I have detected, I think, just a little of that "heat" that's described. Maybe. Just a little. :-)

Apricot & Lentil Soup

 

Apricot and Red Lentil Soup adapted from "Samarkand: Recipes & Stories from Central Asia & the Caucasus" by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford (Kyle Books, 2016). According to G. Daniela Galarza, in this morning's Washington Post, "Red lentils give this soup its porridge-like texture, while tomatoes and carrots enhance its orange hue. Onions, garlic, cumin and thyme ground it in savory flavors. And dried apricots, rather than turning the soup sweet, add brightness, like a glimmer of spring sunshine."

Equinox

Happy vernal equinox, everyone!

 

Carolina Jessamine

 

Although I understand that much of this plant is toxic to animals, I've noticed how the House Wrens who have taken up residence in that storage building in the background like to use it for shelter during the day.

Kale

 

Perhaps the Duke basketball team could have used a little kale in their diet before last night's game against the Tennessee Vols, because they didn't seem to be playing at their usual high level. By contrast, I thought the Arkansas and Kansas players must have had too much, especially given the frenetic pace at which they played in the first half. What a game! And yet one more #1 seed bites the dust!

Leftovers

 

So, I'm almost always faced with this same dilemma whenever I fix beans and rice of what to do on the third day when there really isn't enough left for a full meal. In the past, I've tried extending the dish by adding onion, sweet pepper, and even corn. This time, however, I tried diced tomatoes with very pleasant results. 

Can't exactly say the same for the photo. Somehow I've got to figure out a way to provide better light over my stove. The two tiny halogen lamps in the hood above have the effect of spotlighting portions of what I'm photographing and leaving the rest in the dark. So I'm thinking the only solution is to set up some kind of additional studio-like lighting.