Oh, April

First things first. Sunflower seed bread. A quick bread.

And brown soda bread. Also quick.

Next: eggplant. Tofu. Peppers. Basil. Jasmine rice.

Finally my favorite thing, lately: a whole wheat tortilla with various roasted vegetables. Black beans too, usually (though not this time).

And, just because, a pic of a very groomed Dog...

... and an exhausted Miss Loy.

August shouldn't feel like the end of summer

But it does, when classes begin as early as they do this semester. It's just wrong.

Meantime, here are some delicious things...

Salmon-potato-asparagus salad with a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette, with a slice of The Bread alongside.

Next, an irresistible pad thai with tofu...

...with a side of Best Ever asparagus and peas with shallots and basil.

Then, very simple gnochetti with tomatoes and kale. Nothing to it.

And, as a test run for next weekend's MFA meet-&-greet, a rice salad (wild rice & basmati, edamame, pistachios, dried cherries).

Finally, on the kitten front, we are making progress, as documented below.

Actually, they are now mingling freely, but this pic captures the spirit of the relationship...

Oh, August

—So that was July. Much travel. Lots of reading (Lawrence in Arabia and the Bate biography of Keats were the main things; both are recommended). Not enough cooking. But now it's August, and I'm back home, happily.

Some recent highlights, beginning with this eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, tomato bake that my sweet friend Beth and I shared.

And then a couple of other typical meals... whole wheat gemelli with chicken, pecans, dates...

And a farro salad like the one at the always lovely La Quinta resort (or maybe theirs is like mine... yes, I think that's more accurate). 

This buckwheat bread seemed wintry, at first, but then it just got better and better, especially with some hummus.

And last night, I made these oatmeal-date cookies (with cardamom). Delicious.

Finally, it's Kitten Time here. This is Miss Myrna Loy. She is about 10 weeks old and quite precocious, she wants you to know.