In My Kitchen – December 2024 – spades, spatulas & spoons

I have been absent these last couple of months. Why, you might ask? The election threw me a punch. There is no other way to put it. I have yet to be able to read most newspaper headlines, and somehow, posting has also been affected.

I’ve been cooking and buying cookbooks—they are both refuges. I have also taken up embroidery. It keeps my hands busy when I have difficulty settling. Are any of you feeling the same way?

Friends have a cabin on Donner Lake, and we visited them in early October. Wendy is a wonderful crafter; she makes quilts (of which I have several) and other needlework. She introduced me to cozyblue, and I was hooked. It should be in my DNA because my parents, Grandmother, Great Aunt, and Uncle were artists. I do it for the relaxation and meditative aspects and am a beginner.

We ended up with lots of tomatoes from the garden, but they never ripened.

Green Tomatoes

So when life presents you with green tomatoes, you pickle and make chutney.

: Green Tomato Chutney

: Pickled Green Tomatoes

We have not tasted the pickled tomatoes, but the chutney is terrific. I tried three different recipes, and they are all excellent. Next year, I may not even bother trying to get ripe tomatoes.

There have been some stellar meals over the past couple of months…

Chicken ricotta meatballs with ravioli and salad

Pasta Puttanesca

Pasta Puttanesca for my husband’s birthday meal.

Kale Salad with Delicata Squash and Pomegranate Seeds

The kale was harvested from the garden.

: Carrots from the Garden

: Salad of Roast Vegetables – Carrots and Cauliflower

Roast Cauliflower Salad with Pinenuts and Dates

Mexican Pizza with Black Beans and Mango Salsa

Crispy Oven Roasted Gnocchi Salad with Butternut Squash and Feta

Crispy Oven Roasted Gnocchi Salad with Butternut Squash, kale, and Feta

In My Kitchen, I have some new cookbooks. I read them like novels and love trying new flavors. My birthday is in October, and cookbooks are fabulous presents. Sometimes they are to me, from me, love me.

We have also had some doggie adventures. Ollie visited with his owner, and we took a walk in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens when the dahlias were in full bloom. It’s a very dog-friendly place.