Steamed Mussels in Wine

My friend was kind enough to haul me out of bed a few Sundays ago so that we could go check out the new farmers market. I am glad I went, because the selection was great. In addition to picking up some grocery staples, I found myself standing in front of the Aquaculture stand totally mesmerised. I picked up a 2 pound bag of mussels for ten dollars.

I brought home my mussels and scrubbed them off with a soft bristle brush. Then I placed them into a colander covered with a damp cloth and slipped a bowl underneath to catch the excess water.



I made a broth of butter, thyme, garlic, onions, lemon and white wine, plus a dash of red pepper. Once it was boiling, I threw in the mussels for about 6 minutes.



After the mussels had finished steaming, I threw in some browned andouille and roasted some potatoes into the broth with some parsley.





We sloshed the whole mess into big bowls and scooped up the broth with crispy warm French bread.

Halloween Party

I totally lagged on getting these up, but the party rocked.








We had tacos, and beer and a bunch of other yummy stuff.



It was our best year yet.



I am already planning next year.

it was a nice weekend.

I found some awesome treasures for me.



and these killer vintage shirts for the Mister.



I tended to my garden.



I read a few chapters from this book.

I roasted a chicken for Saturday supper.
(I didn't take a photo since you know what a roasted chicken looks like. Trust me, it was very tasty.)

caught up on our favorite show.

it was nice. I need another day..

bread and other things.

Bread has always been one of those things on my culinary list that I really wanted to try. I have made several haphazard attempts to make my own bread and failed every time, so I decided to put that goal on hold for a while...



Then a few weeks ago, I bought this book, after hearing great reviews about it over here. The book's photographs look amazing, and it presents an easy approach to baking your own bread. I was excited to see if this method would produce better results.



I made a batch of the first recipe in the book, known as the Boule or basic dough. Like the book suggests, I bought a large plastic food storage container, and mixed all the ingredients right in the bucket. I let everything rise for a few hours and stuck it in the fridge.




The next day, I was super excited to make a loaf. However, the day got the best of me and somehow I never got around to making the bread. Instead, I flipped through the book and decided to use the dough to make pizza. I flattened a ball onto a peel and topped it with tomato paste, cheese and some veggies.




After 12 minutes, I got this...



smoked mozzarella. caramelized onions. roasted red peppers. bacon.



jesus christ. it was good. After 20 minutes of moaning and licking the plates, we officially declared that homemade pizza is superior to all others. The book has already been worth the purchase- just for that one dinner.

fence adventures.

who goes there?


something's squirming...


what is it?


friend or foe?


can't quite reach it...


what the....?



hullo!

Problem, solution

Problem? This area of the side yard, which has become the de facto litter box for the neighbors cat collection.



Solution? A healthy sprinkling of cayenne pepper, topped with gravel. Finished with some potted bamboo. An attractive yet effective deterrent, I hope.



The nursery only had two of the black pots, so I'll have to add the third pot in a few weeks.