purple clover, Queen Anne's lace, crimson hair across your face

Home! For the first time in an entire week! Days like this, I just want to hug the house (even though I can't reach).

I haven't been posting very much because I lack Internet access in the evenings. Yes, I could take the laptop home and write entries for later posting. But although I'm still generating thoughts that I might, if it were easier, inflict upon you all, working this hard means that going home and typing more just isn't the haven it was previously. Besides, just think of some of the godawful peorations I've saved you from.

Made chili tonight, which got reduced rather more than usual, which means it's even spicier than usual. Mmm. Also sauteed spinach with garlic, nutmeg, and olive oil (mmm again, and I even forgot the pepper, oops). Have strawberries and some tasty genuine balsamic vinegar for later, if I manage to escape from the keyboard before bedtime. (I have some updated thoughts on my diet, which will probably end up as a separate entry, possibly to dietfolks.)

LJ is stepping on its own entrails again tonight. I'm apparently not allowed to look at more than the first 30 entries on my friends page. Pity my friends are so prolific. :-)

I was in dire need of a junk fiction break last night, so I picked up a copy of Bridget Jones' Diary at Book Buyers. Yep, junk fiction. The style is engaging (and I have a distinct weakness for British slang, yes), but the overarching theme of "women in their thirties desperate to get married" grates more than a bit. So, you'll doubtless continue to find me writing here in my own style instead of someone else's. Suffer gracefully, please.

I'm just sippin' on chamomile

I dislike writing catch-up entries, but elflet and I have spent the past week turning out some pretty amazing food -- prep, in part, for this coming weekend's ten-person gourmet extravaganza. I feel it's worthy of recording. We've done a roasted chicken with two lemons, a really superb chicken fricassee in red wine, and a duck civet. I made the infamous sausages on smothered onions & tomatoes, which was properly appreciated. And there's a big chunk of fresh pork side (what bacon is made out of), which has been marinating in a spice rub for three days, now braising as I type.

Menu for Sunday's dinner. (Warning: drooling into your keyboard is not good for it.)

Double Duck Demolition Dinner (with Triple Tart Tease)

Pre-appetizer: Duck confit on greens with gorgonzola and walnuts
Appetizer: Duxelle of mushrooms & spinach in puff pastry

Salad: Haricots verts with tiny cubes of foie gras du canard
(that's green beans with duck liver, for those who don't read food French)

Main course: Duck civet (duck marinated overnight in red wine, then oven-braised in the marinade) with onions au gratin on the side

Cheese course: Comte cheese with sour cherry preserves; gorgonzola with fig spread

Dessert course: chocolate tart, lemon tart, and raspberry cheesecake, miniatures, each about half-dollar sized.

Yes, that's actually three sorts of duck (plus the "ducks"elle), but I like the alliteration. Plus, it's only going to take two ducks to make the main course for ten, so the "double" is even vaguely justified.

NOW I'm pissed

I just wrote and posted two longish entries. I know they posted, because I saw them on my page and edited one.

Now they both appear to be gone.

Update: okay, they're back. We are still not amused.

quiz-taking on crack

( This one really went haywire. )