It was a full week and a full Saturday this week. Lots going on at work and in Saturday Bob and I went out and about to Art Slam to see some of my kids from work perform. It was a beautiful day and we discovered the Riverwalk area of Bradenton. Neither of us had ever been there before, but I think I found a great place to take Jessie when I want to get her out and to a different place for her to sniff. I was glad we didn’t bring her yesterday because there were so many dogs and people there. Have to try a mid week afternoon when I don’t have I work.

But the show was great. Our Dance department put on a fabulous show – one a few of my kids specifically asked if I would come see, so I dragged Bob out (ok, no dragging was really necessary – I think it is because I limit the school functions I ask him to attend with me) and we had a really good time. The kids did a great job.

For food this week, it was a lot of quick not so creative meals. But … I did make …

Yes, that is pasta and meatballs, but the pasta is quinoa pasta! Ok, it is still a grain, but it is probably better for you than regular wheat, so I’m going with it. I’ve have a spaghetti and meatball craving for a while, so I found that in the grocery and decided to try it. I have to say, the texture is just a little different, but no real noticeable taste difference. It was a nice change from no grain meals and one that I can see making again, although I will really, really limit it. I just have to sit down and look through my cookbooks again for some new inspirations.

I had two different cider’s this week in the quest to find the perfect hard cider for fall. Well, that is still the Stella that I can’t get in the states, but the quest for the perfect cider that I CAN get. So this week we had …

The Woodchuck I have had before and it is a good, all around easy to drink cider. It doesn’t floor me, but I would reach for it without hesitation over some others. The Crispin did surprise me. It has a very light/pale color so I thought it would have a very light taste, but I didn’t. It actually tasted pretty much like apple juice, only kinda of fizzy. Good, but the Spire from last week is still in the lead.

Gratuitous cat picture because I did manage to get a picture of Gracie, admittedly mid meow. She really is a cute kitten – and I’m keeping her even through everyone else thinks she is too much work.

The last few weeks have been a little rough. Not compared to those who have lived through fire, floods, war and famine, but in the every day “this really has to stop” way. I won’t go into the work stuff, but there is a glimmer of light that it is getting back on the right path. One of these days I may even find my desk beneath the piles of papers that amass themselves there every single day.

Gracie and Tigger have taken turns getting sick. I’m pretty sure it is their food, but whenever we get one kind that Tigger doesn’t throw up, Gracie does; when we find a food Gracie can eat, Tigger gets sick. Yes, I have tried having two different kinds out, but somehow, someone always ends up eating the one to make him/her sick, so I am back to square one.

Speaking of the kitties, Gracie decided to be cute this week. Ok she is always cute, but really, this was priceless.

That is her, hiding among my clothes. I think she wanted to get warm as we did have a rather odd cold spell here. I even broke out the boots and lightweight sweaters. The sad part is that at work, I was still freezing.

I finally seem to be kicking whatever weird ailment had me nauseous the last few weeks. After trial and error at the doctor’s they decided that I was, in a very literal sense, motion sick. Yep, motion sick. And while the cure is pretty simple, it did manage to knock me out for a while. And the cider I had with dinner Friday certainly didn’t help. Note to self, no alcohol with meds that make me sleepy.

I love a good cider, much like some enjoy a good beer. I decided to pick up a couple and try them over a few weeks. I had the Oliver that I posted a week or so ago and it was ok, but nothing that I really want to pick up again. Friday’s cider was …

an Irish cider and it was very good on is own, but only ok with food. I found this a little odd as usually drinks taste better with food.

Today’s cider was very different.

I was rather pleased with this one. It has a very strong apple taste which I like in a cider and except for the slight fizz and a very velvety texture, it could have been just a good apple cider. But it was heavier than non-alcoholic ciders and had a fizz, but not really carbonation. So far, Spire is my favorite, but I still have three more to try before my experiment is done.

For dinner tonight I did a plain old hamburger, but I tried a we side dish – grilled tomatoes with garlic and parmigiana cheese.

It was very pretty smelled fantastic, but there are a few things I really need to do differently. First, rather than half the tomato, I think thick slices will work better. I need to grate the garlic rather then chop it, and I think I need to brush the garlic over the tomato as it grills and not worry about frying it first. A different cheese may also be needed. I am thinking of a nice sheep’s milk cheese. Specifically I am thinking about the cheese we had in Scotland, but I know I will not find that in Florida. (cue dramatic sigh.)

So this week I learned:
1. Yes, it really does get better
2. When it is cold outside, cats become very, very cute
3. If the prescription bottle warns it may cause you to become drowsy, avoid any alcohol
4. Try the recipe, but try changing the recipe too

What a week. Both Bob and I had a rough week and we are very glad it is over. My week was so long I actually did not cook a single meal last week. Not one. Three back to school nights equal three twelve hour days and the two days where I did make it home “on time” just did not have me in the mood to cook.

And when things get yucky and you just aren’t feeling it, cats are wonderful. (I realized that, despite the name of this blog, I did not have a pets category. That has now been rectified.) I sat down the other evening, totally and completely drained and Tigger came to keep me company.

Another night where I just felt out of it, Gracie came for lap time.

They really do seem to know when you just need … something. Even when you aren’t sure what that is, they do.

But today I returned to cooking. My veggie basket had some interesting stuff in it this week

Collard greens, apples, lemons, ginger root ( it is huge!), acorn squash and rutabaga. I have no idea what to do with half of it, but I am sure I will figure something out. For today, I made pork tacos with a homemade salsa verde sauce. I had never worked with tomatillos before, so this was an experiment. It came out really well – Bob liked the brightness of the sauce and I liked the flavor it added to the dish. I also made a Greek chicken salad – so I can actually eat lunch for a change- and prepped the acorn squash and peppers (made the filling and stuffed them some just have to pop them in the oven one night). I may not have cooked last week, but I made up for it today.

But the best thing I made was the mango mousse. We had this at the Epcot Food and Wine festival a few years ago and it was by far the most memorable dish there. I always have such high hopes from that, but my expectations are rarely met. This one, however …. I still have dreams about it. So I tried a recipe I found and made my own.

It was close – very close – to what we had at Epcot, but not the same. It came out a little sweeter, and not as mangoy (yes, I just made up the word, don’t care it was that kind of week). Good. But I have a plan for the next time Val has access to loads of mango.