Art Deco Diva does What?

"Knits", she sighed.

Except that she doesn't. Hasn't much recently. I was in a fine knitting frenzy in the winter and early spring. In March I made two pairs of socks for myself and started a pair for DH. Finally finished his socks in early May, cast on for a pair for myself (to be taken to the PawSox Stitch 'n Pitch)...and I will probably finish them this week. There are about 10 rows left (and have been since late last week).

You would think that an otherwise unemployed Hausfrau/writer would seize the opportunity, wouldn't you? Oddly, this state of mine has the effect of making me feel guilty for "wasting" time knitting. If I'm not doing housework or writing, I'm being bad, get it? (I never said it made sense.)

I did go so far as to put the lightweight lace wrap I started in February in the knitting bag where the white socks are living. Because God forbid I should run out of things to knit...even if I'm not knitting.

An analyst could have a lot of fun with this!

The Taste of Summer

I think most people associate foods with seasons even now, with foodstuffs being shipped world-wide.

Three of my favorite summer fruits have actually been available this year, though not in any great quantities. A few weeks ago DH found me an apricot that tasted like an apricot and was not mushy (I've never had one from a store that was not, which is why I generally restrict myself to dried apricots); I saw red currants in the market (which go into my favorite tart in lemon sauce); and yesterday I bought a whole quart of sour cherries!

Sour cherries seem to be more rare than hen's teeth these days. I haven't seen them in the markets in years...so yesterday I grabbed the ones I saw, and today we'll be having sour cherry crumble for dessert.

I don't use a "recipe" per se; I pit them and strain out the juice, which I cook down with a few squeezes of lemon juice and simple syrup, mix the cherries with brown sugar, lemon zest, almond extract & vanilla extract, and dot them with butter; pour the cooked down juice over the top, and add the following topping:

a crumble topping of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and oats.

Bake at 325 F for 20 to 40 minutes depending on the amount you're making...let cool and serve with ice cream or whipped cream or as is.

Leftovers tomorrow for breakfast!

July 2008 to August 2009

July 2008:






August 2009:






Click on the second picture for detail; the first won't enlarge, I'm afraid. The light isn't the best on the new photo (I took it after 6:00 p.m.) but the garden is really beginning to look lovely.