Friday Randomness
Isn’t the Maya Angelou quote above lovely? I found it soothing.
We had a lovely time at Maya and Sloan’s birthday party last Saturday. We started off by stopping at the Ramazzatti wine tasting room for a wine that was recommended by Ted’s boss. Ted bought a delicious Chardonnay and an even better Cabernet Sauvignon, and we brought those to the party along with our bottle of Champagne. They were really, really good. I hope we will splurge again and have these wines in the future. (Oh, maybe for Ted’s birthday next month!)
Ted’s cousin made the cakes. They are both a really delicious carrot cake. Sloan’s cake has no sugar in the whipped cream frosting, which Sloan is fine with. Maya loves sugar in her frosting, so the bigger cake is more traditional.
Here they are, Maya has blown her candles out, but Sloan is having a bit of trouble with hers. She finally got it, and she had a fabulous time.
We drove past these statues after picking up the wine. I love the horse, Ted loves the egg shaped thing in the background. If we weren’t on our way to a party, perhaps we would have stopped and figured out what is going on with this place. Instead I looked online and found it is part of the Geyserville Sculpture Trail. Fun!
Like the folks out protesting every Saturday for the #teslatakedown, there’s another group that goes out to Ocean Beach in San Francisco and forms human signs there. I love it! This was brought to mind when I heard on Tuesday that Wisconsin elected Susan Crawford! THANK YOU WISCONSIN! I was holding out hope that Florida would be able to flip the House, though of course that was always a super long shot.
Also, what about Cory Booker breaking Fucking Strom Thurmond’s record on the Senate floor and talking for over 25 hours straight to bring attention to his concerns about the Trump administration and the shithead MAGA Republicans in the Senate and House? Amazing and wonderful. This is what we need. Not that it changed anything, but it brings attention to our concerns and hopefully inspires folks and makes them feel less hopeless.
I missed last Saturday’s protest because we were celebrating Maya’s birthday, but this little girl made her own sign and did the showing up. I will be making my own sign for this Saturday’s Hands Off demonstration. People come up with some pretty creative signs, but I’m thinking I will stay basic and my sign will say ‘Hands Off Our Democracy!’
I made a delicious dinner the other night. I saw the recipe as a stupid ad on Facebook, so while Facebook may be censoring Heather Cox Richardson, it’s not completely useless. Because it was Facebook and the internet is a cesspool, the comments on the post were pretty much an argument as to whether lentils and salmon is really a traditional French dish or not. “I’ve lived in Paris for 10 years and have never seen this dish.” “I’ve been to France many times, and always order this dish.” “My grandmother in Paris used to make this for us.” Whatever. I was sucked in by the idea of French lentils, mustard, and salmon. It was really good, and I think the lentils would be good with other proteins, or even without. I had lentils and asparagus cold for lunch the next day, and it was really good. The only thing I changed is that I used dried French green lentils rather than canned, and I made a bunch so there would be leftovers. I served it with asparagus, and drizzled both with some delicious olive oil that I pilfered when my cousin and I were looking for a will at her step-mom’s house. The lovely bowl was also hers. I’ll share the recipe in its own post next week, so I can find it in the future. I like to keep recipes on my blog in case they change or something on the other websites.
Another FB ad that appeared on my scroll was this one. If you’re looking for a FDT shirt, or perhaps something that says ‘86 47’, here’s a pretty way to do it. Is it good quality? A good deal? Who knows, I didn’t click, just took a picture for you all. Which led me to doing a google search for FDT, and I saw some others, but this was the prettiest.
Engie had a picture of her yoga candle in a recent post, so I thought I would show you mine. I don’t always light them, but often I do. They are electric candles, and I don’t care, they give me the vibe I want.
Yesterday’s yoga practice was an older one from Adriene, and look at how young Benji is! He’s 6 months old and very well behaved, but much more active than the super chill Benji we know and love today. He slept through a lot of this practice, but I loved how when she put her hands up high, he jumped on her. Distracting but adorable. Sometimes I consider checking out other yoga instructors, but how could I when there would be no Benji?
Elisabeth is hosting her Cool Bloggers Walking Club again this April, so I snapped a few pictures on my morning walk. It’s still spring here, we’re getting warm days and cool nights, sometimes rain. The wisteria is in bloom, which I love. The tulip trees (magnolias) are mostly finished with their blossoms, though this one still clings to some amongst its leaves. And I love the purple flowers on this bush on the side of a busy road.
30 Comments
nance
Carrot cake is wonderful and makes us feel as if we’re actually Being Good whilst eating cake. It’s actually a Vegetable! How bad could it be?
My Prius is proudly wearing its No One Elected Elon sticker for all to see. We have our pick of protests in the area on Saturday; there are several near us. I just hope the rain that is forecast holds off.
Isn’t it funny how proprietary some people get about food? I mean, is it really going to create an International Incident (also the name of Rick’s fantasy basketball team) if a recipe isn’t STRICTLY AUTHENTIC? I think I’m going to post a few recipes on my blog and claim that they’re French just to see if anyone goes bonkers over French Potato Pierogies or Parisienne Stuffed Cabbage Rolls.
Our Spring is well behind yours: magnolias are just now emerging; little baby leaves are showing on the privets; maple tree buds have burst like fireworks; hyacinths and some daffodils are out. The temperature swings are wreaking havoc on my head.
Your photos are wonderful. That little girl’s sign is tremendous.
J
LOL on your French recipes! Hilarious.
I love spring with the flowers and leaves, but I’m sorry for the temperate swing headaches. My head and sinuses are often a barometer, and I hate that about me.
I hope you have good weather for the protests tomorrow, and that you are able to go and have fun! I have found it to be so heartening.
Elisabeth
The blooms on your CBWC walks! Stunning. I’ve seen some crocuses and that’s it for now – we had snow and freezing rain last night – but I know sunnier weather is ahead.
Those cakes. And that salmon. I skipped breakfast this morning and my stomach is literally rumbling.
J
Thanks Elisabeth, for the motivation to take pictures. I do love the spring blossoms!
AC
I know about the dilemma of ordering clothes online. I need new tees for the summer, and I would like Canada-affirmative ones, but I want tasteful with good quality and fit and well here we are not knowing what to do.
J
It’s hard when your closest trading partner suddenly turns out to be an asshole, right? I mean, pro Canada hasn’t necessarily meant non-US before, and yet here we are. We’re trying down here, but it’s going to be a minute, and I swear I’m not sure how the world will ever come to trust us again, especially since the popular vote went the way it did. Disgusting.
Michelle G.
You have so many great things here, J! But the flowers on your walk steal the whole show – wow! They are gorgeous!
J
Thank you Michelle!
Sarah
So many lovely things. That wine place looks awesome, and I love the party vibe. On Wisconsin!
J
Yes, ON WISCONSIN! Thank you to all of you for injecting a bit of hope into the narrative!
Suzanne
Oh my gosh the flowering greenery is so beautiful! We are only just beginning with blooms here: a bit of forsythia, lots of daffodils. A couple of magnolia’s are starting to blossom, but mine hasn’t started yet. I am so excited!
YES TO THIS: ” I was sucked in by the idea of French lentils, mustard, and salmon” Can’t wait for you to post the recipe!
J
The recipe was really good, Suzanne, I think I’m going to make it again next week.
Nicole MacPherson
I have a shirt very similar to that but it’s not FDT, it’s just a lotus. My husband gave it to me several years ago. I don’t even know what FDT is to be honest.
Those cakes look amazing! April is my birthday month and I’m committing to eating cake each weekend in April. This weekend I’m making myself a lemon angel food cake.
J
FDT = Fuck Donald Trump
Lemon angel food cake? OMG, that is speaking my language. I think I’d want it with some fresh raspberries, but I wouldn’t be rude enough to insist.
Margaret
I’m with Maya on the sugar on the sugar in the frosting! My older daughter bought tickets to a comedy show a long time ago so I’m babysitting instead of protesting. I feel guilty about that! The lentils and salmon-yum. I love asparagus too.
J
I wouldn’t feel guilty about it Margaret, there are so many opportunities, and we can all do SOMETHING.
Frosting without sugar? Weird, right? But Sloan doesn’t know any other kind and she loves it.
coco
that lentil dish with salmon looks delicious! I often save FB recipes too but don’t remember to make them later. do you save them somewhere else?
I love that T-shirt too, gray + jean = my fav outfit.
J
Coco, I put recipes in a physical binder sometimes, or I put them on my blog. I’m going to post this recipe next week, so I’ll always have it when I want it.
Jenny
OH! I didn’t know what FDT was either, but now that I know and look at the shirt more closely, it’s brilliant! I want one!
Happy birthday to the girls! Those cakes look amazing, and it sounds like a fun celebration. And, I love the photos from your walks. So pretty and colorful!
J
I had to look FDT up too, but I kept seeing it on signs at the protests I go to, along with Foxtrot Disco Tango, which is the same thing.
Lisa’s Yarns
Yum! I love lentils and mustardy dishes so that sounds amazing to me! And that FDT shirt is very pretty!!
The birthday party looked so like much fun. I hope these 2 continue to celebrate together through the years. How fun to have a little birthday buddy. Little kid birthdays are extra extra fun. I love a good carrot cake. It’s easy to make GF as it’s a dense cake in general so you don’t notice it’s made with GF flour typically.
J
I hope that Maya and Sloan continue to celebrate together forever, it’s lovely.
Ally Bean
I like the Maya Angelou quote. Carrot cake! I haven’t made that in years. Now I have a weekend project. The two kids with their BD cakes is great. I left FB long ago but am not surprised by any of their restrictions on people who help the world be a better place. If M.A. were alive today they’d block her!
J
Ally, you’re probably right about FB blocking Angelou! Or at least censoring her.
PocoBrat
Thanks for a sneak peek at the birthday celebration. It was so lovely to see Maya and her baby cousin celebrating together. What a sweet tradition; long may it continue. (Her protective arm around Sloan–oh, my heart!)
J
I know, they just adore each other!
Stephany
I keep getting served a “Gulf of Mexico – Stay Salty and Resist” shirt on my Instagram and I think I MAY have to buy one. I love it so much! I also found a cat shirt that had FDT all over it that made me giggle. I love the resistance tees!
I wasn’t able to make it to the protests yesterday, but learned that our local retirement community, The Villages, had hundreds at their protest! When I went there in 2016, it was FILLED with Donald Trump bumper stickers so that’s a big thing!
J
I love the shirt, and I love the protests! There were so many people protesting around here yesterday, it’s very heartening.
San
Happy birthday Maya and Sloan! 😉 Love the small and big birthday cakes.
And I love lentils and would eat this dish – regardless if it’s French or not LOL
I am so encouraged by the protests and heck yeah, so proud of Cory Booker’s speech in the Senate. That’s the energy we need!
J
Thanks San, I think I’m going to make that lentil dish again tomorrow, it’s really tasty.