Lagniappe

I went outside to hang out with my doggy.  He is really the best dog EVER! Of course, being that DH and I have been working on our yard, I started weeding and as I worked my way around I came across someone beautiful.

She really made my day. Maybe it isn't as interesting to you as it is to me that I shot 20 photos of her but, the first one that I shot is my favorite. I like her hiding in the shadows and being beautiful. She is in her prime, "in the peak of her beauty," one might say.  She is confident and content and not at all  like that funny little bud seeking the sunshine in the background. Regardless, I got a shot of her full bloom, just to share with you.

I know what you are wondering.  Yes, she smells like a beautiful light floral rose. Not spicy but, light fruity and pink.  This rose was a favorite of mine when I was growing up.  My mom had one just like it planted at our front porch. (That is how I remember it.) It was also the inspiration for my wedding which happens to have been 12 years ago tomorrow. ♥

Serenity Sunday

From my journal/photojournal:

I would like to be the flowers;
Calm, beautiful, perfection.
With the sun gleaming on my face
I would watch the world rush around me.
I would stand out;
Bright, proud, delicate.

Photo by Michelle Davila Scarborough

Guess who is getting hitched? Yay! I don't know the logistics. But, this is cause for celebration.  It was really nice to see these guys today. Congratulations on your engagement!

Oh! And yes,  I would be honored to shoot your engagement shots.

In Honor of St. Patrick's Day

It is Saint Patrick's Day! Another reason to celebrate life and food and all that good stuff we have.  A couple of tidbits about St. Patrick.  He is the patron saint of engineers and the excluded. Isn't that ironic? Or maybe they go hand in hand. :oP He is also the saint for guarding against snake bites, snakes, and those with the fear of snakes. Some swear he is the patron saint of beer too. Not really. That is just a bad joke.

The tradition of wearing green is really old; like when Christians were just Christians (ok..they were Catholic).  So we wear green.  A small number of Christians wear orange to protest the Catholics. Why orange? It has to do something to do with William of Orange and Orange being on the opposite end of the color wheel of green. And something to do with protesting the Corrupt Catholics. It is all in good spirit.:o)

Oh well, St. Patrick didn't mind being Catholic. Neither do I.  As a symbol of solidarity with those who wear orange, I made bitter orange marmalade! So there is a little rebellion in our home too. :o) I was pleased with the results and will probably continue this as tradition. I made a mistake though.--> I didn't follow a recipe and I didn't write it down either. I will give my best guess.

Remember these?

 Well I made this out of them.

And ate it like this:

This stuff is bitter, sweet, sour, and bright. It is not like Smucker's at all. There is no film left in your mouth and it doesn't taste like sugar. It is a lot like the bitter orange stuff I had in Sevilla. Totally took me back to Spain. I think they make it in France too.

My Recipe:
Bitter Orange Marmalade Confit Stuff:

1 1/2 cups bitter orange juice
3 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups orange peel + parts*
2 cups water

1. Squeeze the juice out of the bitter oranges through a strainer to catch the seeds. Save the skin.
2. Combine the skins and 1/2 cup sugar in a processor and puree it.
3. In a large non reactive pot. Combine all the ingredients.  If you have cheese cloth wrap 2 tbsp of the seeds or more into it and secure it.  Toss it in. If not, just toss some in.
4. Boil over medium.
5. Watch the marmalade. Timing is everything. It could take 30 minutes or 60 minutes.
6. It is ready when it gets to soft ball stage.
7. Pour it in to sterilized jars or can it if you know how to do that. (I don't. I just put in the fridge.)
Made two 8 oz jars.
To Test: Drop a few drops in a glass of ice water if it crystallizes and falls to the bottom it is ready. Or put a little on a plate and stick it in the fridge for 2 minutes. If it is jelly like then it is done.
Note:  *The seeds have starch that thickens the jelly. Remove them when they turn green.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Orange-things

Yay for March! I love our weather right now and so do all of the plants and animals. We had some pretty and interesting butterflies in our yard a couple of weeks ago. Right now the milk weed is recovering and the chrysalis are all waiting to morph. The kids like this a LOT! Here is a little guy that wanted to go for a walk on our sidewalk.

If you look really closely, you can see the black fur all over his body. Kind of gross but, kind of cool too.  I took a million shots of this guy. There is just something about butterflies.

And guess what else is happy to feel spring?  My mom's oranges.  Okay. These are the cutest little oranges you have ever seen. They are bright and tiny. Tiny as in no bigger than the size of quarter. They smell heavenly. The rind is so tender that when you pull it from the tree it rips just a tad.  The only alternative at that point is to pop this baby in your mouth--whole!  But watch out, the flesh is TART.  So, I love these little things, sweet skins and sour insides, kind of like me!  hehehe! Just kidding. Anyway, her inner city orchard makes me want one too. Oh and she threw in a couple of her lemons too-utterly delicious! I will make my favorite lemon cookies when I do a special on yellow things.;o)

So although, they are edible, consumable...whatever. They are not all that appetizing for the sake of being an orange.  I picked a heap of them in the hopes I would come up with something tasty to eat them in. 

I haven't gotten that far. But I did make and orangething-ade. It is as good as lemonade and really really light and refreshing. 

Orangething-ade

1 1/2 tbsp sugar or honey

3-4 orangethings

1 cup water

1 cup ice

A. Mash up the orangethings in the sugar. Just crush it all up in the bottom of a glass.

B. Add a cup of ice water (filtered is better than the tap for this).

C. Add the ice.

D. Options (get it?)--a green straw and a few extra slices of the orangethings strictly for appearances.

I plan on making a marmalade but, I don't have enough sugar on hand. Since, I don't typically make jams and jellies, I think I don't have enough sugar. Maybe I do. I will post that when I get to it.

Now back to the day and playing Lego Batman.