Oh golden orb of the sky, never leave me again

[stoney321]

Sunshine! Nothing but for days and days, and it's going to be near 90 soon, YAY. (Hint: I like warm weather.)

Who's watching Happy Endings? It's pretty funny. It's getting started, but already the cast has an easy rapport with each other, and I like the characters and they're funny. Who's watching Workaholics? It's pretty funny. (lol) It's also totally juvenile and full of pot/frat-boy humor, but you get to laugh AT them, and I always like that. Who saw the season opener for South Park? Oh my god, there was a Human Centipede storyline, and it almost was too much for me. FOR ME! But it was still hilarious.

This is redonk. I may have made incomprehensible noises. Also, there is a mama dove sitting on her egg(s?) in a wee nest in the climbing rose, right over the office window. It's apparently the greatest thing ever to watch, according to Smidgen and Smudge. All day they sit under the window, craning their necks to spy on the bird. I don't think she can see them, so I doubt she's stressed. Hope Cat is trying to teach them how to "kk-kk-kk-kk!" at birds like a proper kitty, but they are both silent as the grave.

Example: this weekend I couldn't find Smudge and after a half hour, saw a wee black paw curling up at the pantry door. I opened it, he blinked and walked out. Why on earth wouldn't you meow, silly cat? But he never does. Quietest cat there is. Know what isn't quiet? A stupid baby mockingbird outside my house. Aww, Stoney, it's a weetiny bird! Remember in Finding Nemo when the seagulls said, "Mine? MINE! MINE! MINE!" over and over? Imagine that, but fourteen octaves higher. And its mama mimics a car alarm. HOW ADORABLE.

Imma make some brioche today. I made strawberry preserves on Sunday, and that's the perfect topping to a warm slice of brioche. NOM.

obligatory site link here I NEVER SAID I WASN'T AN ATTENTION-SEEKING PERSON. Never.

Comments

[mumsisdaughter]

Oh, swimming pool weather! I bet you and the family will be spending every minute you can in there. The BBC weather forecast says it should be 60F here today but that's a fib 'cos the sun trap in the corner of the garden, sheltered from the cooling breeze, has a thermometer and that's reading almost 100F! We've been spoiled by steadily warming temperatures and blue skies for the last fortnight. Let's hope that doesn't mean a miserable summer. I saw my first swallow at the weekend. Homemade strawberry jam, yummy!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

We will be! But currently, because of the hail and cold rain yesterday, the pool sits in the 60s, so... it needs to warm up a touch before I dare to step in it. :D (It was almost 78 in it on Saturday, to give you an idea of how much cold/rain came through!)

Oooh, when it gets that warm with you, that means high humidity, yes? I won't envy you that. MMMM JAM!

[zyrya]

Strawberries! Imma coming over.

It's awesome that you're doing spring strawberries and I'm making autumn quince jelly.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I've been reading your recipes with delight! The strawberries are coming in buckets, and they're so delicious. They last for such a short time, you have to make the most of it, right? [/preaching to the jam-making choir]

[zyrya]

Every time I start to feel huffy about hunters, I think how I feel when I'm growing veggies and making jam and collecting the eggs. There's something primal and supremely satisfying about supplying one's own food.

Although there also seems to be something primal about being wacky-creative with the recipes!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Does it help if you know that we're hunters, but that's the only meat we eat? There's no trophy hunting in my fam. And ditto to the primalness (and the health benefits - oy to "farmed" meats.)

I want some new strawberry preserve recipes, if you have any, feel free to share. I'm looking for unusual flavor combos.

[zyrya]

Your family being hunters is a big part of how I've learned to get over my prejudices against hunting.

I like spices with my fruit jams. The persimmon with coriander seed is really lovely. With strawberries I like cinnamon and vanilla, but I just use a cinnamon stick and a quarter of a sliced-open vanilla pod at the stewing stage and fish them out before adding the sugar and cooking everything down.

My step-mother used to make a spicy strawberry jam with ground allspice, cinnamon and cloves, amd she used butter to counteract all those top notes. She also made one with strawberries and those sweet, bland oranges you can get here in spring.

My sister makes her strawberry jam with a little orange and lemon juice, and grated fresh ginger.

Strawberry and rhubarb is big here. I think rhubarb is the anti-christ, but whatever. Here's a recipe in case you want to party with the devil.

500g chopped rhubarb
500g hulled, halved strawberries
juice, seeds and peel of 3 lemons
500g white sugar
100g brown sugar
ground nutmeg

Pop the lemon rind and seeds into a muslin bag, and put in a big pot with the rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, nutmeg and lemon juice. Bring to the boil then simmer for 30-45 mins. Test, bottle, repent at leisure.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Awww, that's lovely! My husband/son take it very seriously. Side story: yesterday The Boy brought home a permission slip/list of rules for an upcoming dissection in Biology. I asked him if he understood the rules, that it's nothing to joke about/during, and he said, "Mom, dad taught me that taking a life is a big deal and that you have to honor it. I'm not a jerk." :)

Oooh, I bet the cinnamon and vanilla are a great addition! I'll do that for sure, as well as the others -orange + ginger = one of my most favorite flavor combos ever.

(Can you believe I've never had rhubarb?!)

[mumsisdaughter]

Never had rhubarb! It has to be grown in forcing sheds--you can stand in the dark and HEAR the rhubarb growing! I was going to suggest strawberry and rhubarb conserve but zyrya beat me to it.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

I'm, not watching "Workaholics" - but I do like "Happy Endings" -- I came for Eliza Coupe (Jane) but I'm staying for Casey Wilson and the never-ending stream of Kim Bauer jokes.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Jane is a great character and man, I am LOVING Casey Wilson. It's a good show, I'm excited to have another comedy to watch.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Yeah - this has actually been a very good year for comedies. 30 Rock, Archer, Community, Cougar Town, HIMYM, Modern Family, Parks & Rec... (Traffic Light on FOX was okay too, but probably going to die...)

[stephanierb.livejournal.com]

I like "Happy Endings", though that last episode with Damon Wayans made me feel OLD. I just can't get over how he's the father of one of the cast.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I KNOW, RIGHT? But put it this way, we were BABIES watching him as a grown man doing stand up in the 80s. DOES THIS HELP AT ALL???

[stephanierb.livejournal.com]

That's what I'll keep telling myself. :-)

[pghbekka.livejournal.com]

You stole my nice weather! *pout*

Re: Smudge and Smidge and the unbearably cute pic under the cut: Soft smushy noises of wubbings.

Anyone who underestimates the mockingbird as a weetinybird is in for a VERY rude surprise. Particularly when they're nesting.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I did nothing of the sort! I earned this weather and I guess you need to look at your own choices here, missy. ;)

OY. I still have video of a mockingbird on the attack when my cat was too close to the nest (unwittingly.)

[strtmyorange.livejournal.com]

You can't move the mockingbird or her mama can you. I was under the impression that they're protected under the Migratory Bird Act. Kind of unfortunate. I just had a red-winged blackbird go after my car on a freeway entrance ramp; don't even want to think about an attacking mockingbird.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh, I wouldn't move the baby mocking bird, it's just driving me nutso. And they happen to be our state bird. Boo.

[heatherbird.livejournal.com]

I'm watching Happy Endings mostly for Casey as Penny... loved the ones with the Nerf guns and the Italian boyfriend.

[anelith.livejournal.com]

We have TWO bird nests right in front of our two picture windows. The cats are in heaven.

Have a great time with the hot weather! We're in for some rain, but that's OK. The shrubs look so much better when we have a rainy spring.