Archive for ‘September, 2015’

Sunday morning: a good egg

Not every Sunday, but as often as I feel like it, I have an extra indulgent breakfast.

And today is the day to see what lies inside the Jumbo XXXL egg.

In deference to SUPER EGG, I got potatoes going in the oven: soak cubed potato (gets rid of some starch so they crisp up in the oven), drizzle with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 450 for 20 minutes.

A dark chocolate mocha was in the works as well.

Some sliced linguisa and a thick slice of oatmeal-whole wheat bread round out the accompaniment for SUPER EGG!

Will it be a huge single, a double or maybe even a triple ???

Auggie was not worried. He says the “house” always wins…

A huge, orange single! ***

Good grief – my “money shot” was out of focus and I only took one photo, because breakfast was ready!

It was a good egg!

Fresh peach jam and a second slice of toast finished things off.

A wonderful Sunday breakfast.

Dishes done…

Bear and Auggie had their breakfasts and then we all spent time outside on this beautiful Sunday morning.

A mug of my special lemon-honey-turmeric-cayenne “tea” to enjoy in my kitchen chair before settling down to some work.

I’m in good shape for my Thursday deadline, but thought I’d get in excellent shape by working today and will reward myself with Friday off … a three day weekend, just for me!

*** When my neighbor’s chickens were first laying, there were lots of doubles. They were always long, skinny eggs. I recently read that doubles typically occur more when chickens first begin laying. I don’t know if that is correct, but although the super egg was huge, I was not surprised that it was a single. Mel’s chickens have a gorgeous run, are let out to free range daytime when someone is there to keep an eye on them and get good chicken food as well as scraps and bugs and their special treat: crickets! The yolks are orange and rich and I am completely spoiled!

Friday

I’m writing this on Saturday evening, but it is really all about Friday.

The Montana peaches from Farmer’s market… 2 weeks ago – I had been eating them, but there were 7 of them left…

11.9 ounces of pealed and diced peaches.

So, I converted my peach jam recipe for 11.9 ounces vs 2.5 pounds:

11.9 ounces is .2975 of 2.5 pounds so multiply the sugar and lemon juice by .2975.

I LOVE making small batches of jam, preserves or marmalade. It is quick, I don’t need a monster sized pot and since I am making for just me, perfect.

Meanwhile, dough rising for bread and ciabatta rolls.

The kitchen smelled heavenly!

While the peaches, sugar and lemon juice were simmering and the dough was rising, I sat in my kitchen chair, with Auggie on my lap and watched the sky lighten as the sun rose…

… beautiful!

And eventually there was jam and rolls and bread.

It was just after 8:00 a.m.

Later, after a good work day…

Auggie as the lion king…

… or owl ears…

…or done for the day!

Bear lounged on the front porch…

… until he, too, was done for the day.

Friday.

Almost Friday

Work continues to be crazy busy, but easing a bit…mostly due to the fact that I’ve broached the worst part of the learning curve for our new way of doing things. There is an October 1 deadline so it is still head down and fingers flying.

However. One must eat and sleep and rub the stomachs of Bear and Auggie, walk in the woods and partake of this last week of almost summer-like weather – 74F today!

The walking plan with my neighbor hit a snag last week and she is moving to a new job which will put the kibosh on morning walking. I’ve taken to doing things like aerobic yard raking and next week will start a plan of a 2-4 mile walk with Bear at lunchtime.

Thankfully, though, my neighbor’s chickens are still a-laying on schedule and this morning I got a fresh 2 dozen:

The photo does not do it justice. There is the largest egg I’ve ever seen. I got out my kitchen scale and most of the eggs weighed 48-62 grams. The monster weighed in at 80 grams! I plan to poach it on Sunday. Yes, there will be photos. I’m wondering if it is a double. We will see.

Auggie is running the bookmaking on single, double or a long shot triple…

I think I noted that it was 74F today. Shade-time for the Beardog!

A lovely afternoon.

Yet another photo of the fuschia. They show signs of fading a bit, but still – beautiful!

In addition to his bookie duties, Auggie is mostly back on track with his daily rounds.

It is exhausting.

Almost Friday!

The day after Auggie’s difficult day

So, despite the fact that I have an additional 1,000,000 gray hairs…and given that I made the decision to let Auggie be an outdoor cat (daytime!!!)… I put on my big girl panties, stiffened my upper lip, said a LOT of prayers…and allowed Auggie to choose to go outside or not… the day after.

As it happened, Auggie did go out, but he stuck close to Bear or I and he was not out long this day after the difficult day. He seemed to be extra cautious as well as hyper-sensitive to noise … especially the noise of the ravens. Hmm. I don’t think the ravens would “attack” him, but they do swoop down over Bear (and Karl before) …and steal treats left lying around. So, maybe they taunted Auggie.

A mystery.

I am grateful that Auggie is cautious and vigilant. I am sorry that he has been SO frightened.

But.

Onward.

This evening, we all walked together in the woods:

A lovely, early Fall evening…

… the day after Auggie’s difficult day.

Auggie’s difficult day

The Auggie-boy is one tough cat.

However, every once in awhile, something sends him roaring inside like the hounds of hell are after him.

This morning, apparently they were as I heard the split screen and his feet and then Auggie up, up and away to the top of the cabinet above the refrigerator.

Auggie slunk down and warily moved around the house, looking out windows and doors … so warily, that I did a house tour to make sure that nothing came in with or behind him. Nada.

Uncharacteristically, he did not recover his sang froid…

The edge of the porch was as far as he ventured and that was later in the day.

Stepping back, to Saturday night…at bedtime, I discovered a scab on Auggie’s ear and head and shoulder…

He tangled with something…but he had not jetted inside like he did today (Monday) and seemed unconcerned about going in and out.

Today was different.

Bear was on Beardog Point when Auggie roared in. AND, as it was warm at 60 something F, I had the house windows open. Bear did not alert and I heard nothing…and believe me, a cat in a fight is hearable from some distance! So, I think no fight, but some critter or bird (eagle or owl or raven?) scared Auggie out of his wits!

“It was so awful, I can’t even talk about it…”

“It was bad!”

“I guess, I just have to muck about on my own…”

“Hey, where were you when I was about to be et???”

“I heard nothing.”

“NOTHING!”

Whatever it was, it made for a difficult day for Auggie!